One of the Guys
by Crystal Manning
Summary: A tomboy. One of the guys. A normal girl, or is she? When the Pevensies get called they weren't brought back alone, their neighbor went with them and she just might be the key to saving Narnia. And to think it all started with a necklace. Suspian Peter/OC
1. The Dream, The Prophecy, The Return

**Destinies Intertwined I: One of the Guys**

**Summary- ****A tomboy. One of the guys. A normal girl, or is she? When the Pevensies get called back to Narnia they weren't brought back alone, their neighbor went with them and she just might be the key to saving Narnia. Suspain Peter/OC**

**Ages have been changed: Peter: 17 turning 18 Susan: 17 Edmund: 16 Lucy: 13**

**Time period: After Prince Caspian but before Voyage of the Dawn Treader**

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**Chapter 1: The Dream, The Prophecy, and The Return**

_Lucy Pevensie was standing on the beach, her back was to the ocean. She was staring up at the building she called home, Cair Paravel. A smile was etched onto her face as she remembered the times her brothers and sister ruled Narnia as the Kings and Queens of Old. She never thought that she would come back so soon and she never thought that she would come back alone. She loved being in Narnia, she loved everything about the mysterious world, but now, more than ever, she wished she hadn't arrived alone. She didn't even understand why she was alone._

_She turned around to face the ocean and she felt the light spray on her face as her hair blew in the gentle breeze. The ocean gently lapped at the shore, taking sand away but putting it back in it's place. The moon reflected the silvery light the moon was casting off. Shadows from the cliffs above surrounded her and made her feel more alone than before. She didn't know how she got there, especially since her brothers and sister weren't there with her._

_"Something's coming," she muttered when the wind blew her hair across her features once more. As the wind whistled she could hear tortured screams in the background as well as evil laughter and the sound of choked cries. She slapped her hands over her ears as she tried to get the screams out of her head but they only got louder and louder._

_"Calm down, young one."_

_She pulled her hands away from her ears and turned around. Standing a few paces away from her was Aslan. His mane blew in the breeze as he kept his golden eyes locked on her. She smiled before rushing over to him as he crouched down so he was lying down on the sand. She threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled her face into his warm fur. She giggled a little when she heard Aslan purring._

_"Oh, I missed you so," Lucy whispered before stepping back and smiling at Aslan. The serious look on her face made it disappear instantly. "What's wrong?"_

_"It is time for you to regain your thrones," Aslan responded._

_"The four of us?" Lucy repeated happily. Ever since she heard that Peter wouldn't return to Narnia, she was depressed, to say the least. Not having Peter in Narnia_ _with her was like not having Peter in her life at all. She's always looked up to Peter and everyone knew that he was her favorite sibling. Even though it was revealed to her that he wouldn't return four months ago she lived that day in her nightmares every single night. SHe didn't say anything to her family because she didn't want them worrying about her. Aslan confirmed her question. "But I thought you said Peter and Susan couldn't return to Narnia."_

_"We are going to need Peter's guidance now more than ever if we want to save Narnia," Aslan responded. "New creatures are being revealed. A couple of guards and villagers that protect and thrive in the Kingdom of Rayuvial have been killed by them. These beasts are by far stronger than the ones we have fought before."_

_"They're even stronger than the White Witch?" Lucy gaspes. Aslan blinked. "What are they after?"_

_"That is still a mystery, young one." The sand around them started to lift into the air before the two were trapped in a sand cyclone. Lucy looked around before looking back at Aslan. He was being surrounded by the sand and it seemed like he was being turned into sand as it joined the spinning cyclone. "There is so much more that you need to learn..."_

_She gasped when he disappeared all together. She turned around and around, trying to find him, but he was gone. Tears started to slide down her face as she heard his voice:_

Anger beats within her heart, when the new fall has its start

and the darkness seeps as the fallen weep.

When she rises up darkness shall meet the light

and only with a Mother's touch will the land be returned to such

Only one can live while the other one falls

Only eternal love can save us all

* * *

Lucy woke up with a gasp. She sat up in bed and looked around the room. She took in a couple of deep breaths to stop herself from trembling as she clutched her covers up to her chest. A cold sweat was slipping down her forehead as she tried to calm her racing heart and to get her breath back. She sighed as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"That dream…" she muttered to herself.

Her head whipped to the side when she heard a door open. She glanced over at her clock and let out a sigh of frustration. It took her a while to fall asleep and when she did she got scared awake. She and her siblings also had to go back to their respective boarding schools that day, which was what Lucy was dreading. She enjoyed spending time at her home, not doing homework, and playing cricket in the yard with her siblings. A knock on the door grabbed her attention before the door was pushed open. Her oldest brother, Peter, stuck his head into the room. He smiled when he saw that Lucy was awake and pushed the door open a little bit more before stepping into the room fully.

"Good morning Lu," he said with a smile before placing a light kiss on her forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"How can I sleep knowing that we have to go back to school today?" Lucy grumbled as he laughed a little.

"Good point. Which is why I should go and wake Ed now."

"I suggest you prod him with the cricket bat," Lucy told him. "You know how he is in the morning, especially when we have to go back to school. You're going to want to stay away from him."

"Good idea." Peter lightly ruffled her hair before smiling at her.

"What?" She asked, laughing a little at the smile on his face.

"I'm just admiring how much you've grown. You've changed but you haven't at the same time," he explained.

"Is that even possible?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"I didn't think it was, but you make anything possible, Lu," Peter told her. "I'll see you downstairs."

Lucy stayed where she was until he closed the door all the way and she sighed. She knew she should have told him about the dream she has been having. It wasn't the first time she has had it. She's had it two weeks after they returned from Narnia, and that was four months ago.

"Stop hitting me!" Peter's suddenly shouted in the silence. Lucy giggled to herself, picturing Edmund attacking Peter for waking him up to make him get ready for school.

"Honestly, do we have to go through this every time?" Lucy could hear Susan scolding Peter and Edmund easily.

Lucy felt sorry for Susan. She knew that Susan missed Narnia a lot and she knew that the main reason she missed Narnia was because of Caspian. She didn't understand what she saw in the Telmarine or how she had fallen for him so quickly when just before she was a no-nonsense type of person who didn't let boys cross her mind.

Lucy didn't like the change that her siblings were going through.

Susan seemed to be more interested in boys than before ever since they returned, Lucy noticed. She always over heard Susan talking to her friend, Alicia, about some boys at their brother school, Henden House. Whenever Lucy asked her about it she dismissed it quickly and told her that Lucy misunderstood what she had heard.

Edmund became a little more open ever since they came back from Narnia, which Lucy enjoyed a lot because she finally had someone to talk to. Sure, she did have Peter, but Edmund was there and he didn't scold her about having too much of an imagination, not like Peter or Susan. They claimed that her games were too silly and she needed to focus on more serious things sometimes. Ever since Lucy was right about Narnia Edmund had Lucy's back in any argument she would have with Susan or, rarely, Peter. Even though Edmund was more open, he still reverted back to his harsh ways whenever he felt threatened.

Peter was convinced that they wouldn't return to Narnia after they tried many times in the past to return, with no luck. He had told his siblings to focus on school and not let Narnia affect their school work. Many times Lucy tried to convince Peter that they would go back to Narnia one day but he wouldn't hear it, he was too stubborn, and that's what Lucy hated about him.

"I shouldn't tell them about my dreams then," Lucy told herself as she went to her dresser, looking for her school uniform. "None of them will listen to me anyway."

* * *

Susan sighed as she looked around the crowded train station. Every time a train passed a cool breeze blew her hair across her face. She closed her eyes and tried to think of her times in Narnia. Right about now she would be sitting in the garden of Cair Paravel, reading a book from the library and enjoying the beautiful weather and the songs of the birds. In the distant Lucy's giggling would be heard along with the clangs from Peter's and Edmund's swords as they sparred. Oh, how she missed the sounds of Narnia. They couldn't compare to the sounds of the gossiping girls in her boarding school. A loud _whistle_ grabbed her attention and she, sadly, had to return to the world of reality.

"Are you all right, Su?" Lucy asked as she looked up at her older sister. She was sitting next to Susan on the train bench, kicking her legs back and forth as she waited with the rest of the Pevensie siblings for their train to arrive to take them to their respective boarding schools.

"Yes. I was just thinking about Cair Paravel," Susan admitted.

"It's only been four months," Lucy sighed. "How much of Narnia has changed now? Oh, how I wish we could return there." Without another word she got up and walked away. None of them went after her, knowing that she was only going to be walking around and would return in time when the train arrived.

A pang of sadness hit Susan like it always did whenever Lucy thought about returning to Narnia. She and Peter were told by Aslan himself that they were too old to return to Narnia. She was sure that Peter felt the same way every time he thought about not being able to go back himself. But, like usual, Peter kept his emotions to himself so he wouldn't let his siblings know how much it hurt him to lose a part of his life. She also knew that the time difference between Narnia took a toll on the way he grew over the year. The first time they went they didn't know how to get home so they spent years in Narnia, growing up there and getting used to their customs. When they found their way back home they were shocked to know that they were reverted back to the ages they were when they first got to Narnia. When they went back the second time, which was four months ago. Susan was shocked to see that their home of Cair Paravel was destroyed. Since then Susan didn't know where her actual home was, there in Narnia, or here in Finchley. She knew that if she told anyone about that they would claim that she needed to grow up and focus on her school work.

Susan turned her attention to the crowd that was starting to form near the stairs. Susan recognized some of the boys from Henden House. Everyone knew them, they were known for causing a lot of trouble and for tormenting the younger students. When the crowd got thicker she turned to see if Peter and Edmund had noticed.

"Let's see what's going on," Edmund told Peter without taking his dark eyes off of the circle, who was now yelling. "You can bet that nothing good is going to come out of this."

"I was thinking the same thing," Peter said before the two went over to the crowd, Susan followed close behind. Peter and Edmund pushed their way through the crowd to the front to see a flash of red before a boy was taken down to the ground.

"Take it back!" A feminine voice growled as I girl held the boy's tie in her tight grip, as if in the motion of strangling him. "Take. It. Back!"

"Get offa me, you psycho!" The boy snapped as he pushed her off of him. She got to her feet but kept her crystal blue eyes locked on him in a death stare.

"What're you fighting about now, Crystal?" Edmund spoke up.

"He called me a strumpet," she responded through clenched teeth. Her hands were also balled into fists by her side.

"I was merely telling the truth," the boy said with a shrug. His eyes widened as he was tackled to the ground once more, this time by Edmund. Crystal was pushed backwards when the other boy's friend went to get Edmund away. Peter got him in a head lock and tried to take him down to the ground as the cheering got louder.

"Peter! Edmund! Stop it!" Susan screamed from the sideline, even though her brothers showed no sign in letting up. The crowd got broken up by the Station security. Susan got a firm grasp on Edmund's arm and dragged him back over to the bench. "Again!" She cried out.

"We couldn't just stand by and let her be called that awful name," Edmund defended himself.

"I could have taken care of it myself!" Crystal snapped as she hit him on the arm. "You know I could!"

"You shouldn't be fighting in the first place," Peter said as he rubbed his cheek where a red mark had formed. His siblings sat down on the bench while they listened in curiosity.

"Ok, the next time someone calls me a name I'll just pick a bunch of flowers and give it to him as a gift," she said with an eye roll, her voice dripping sarcasm.

"That's not what I meant!" Peter said as he glared at her. "Girls shouldn't fight."

"You know that philosophy means nothing to me."

"Just sit down; I'm not in the mood for this."

Lucy wanted to say something to defend her friends but she knew by the look on Peter's face that she shouldn't say anything. She let out a breath and gave Crystal a look which Crystal responded to with a small shrug.

"Would you like to take my seat?" Peter asked in a calm voice after he calmed down. Many balls and banquets in Narnia have taught him that, no matter what, he should always be chivalrous towards women. Edmund kept that lesson in mind because he, too, was standing to offer her a seat.

Crystal shook her head, causing her jet black hair to lightly hit her pale skin as her crystal blue eyes sparkled in suspicion. "That's all right, Pete. You were there first, I can stand. It's fine." Peter nodded before he sat back down. Crystal dropped her messenger bag down on the ground before bringing her foot up onto the arm rest by Lucy and started tying her shoe. A gold sparkle caught Edmund's eye so he looked over and noticed a gold necklace around her neck. It was of a silver pendant and it had an ocean blue jewel embedded in the middle. "Are you boys up for some football before school resumes?" She asked as she lifted her head, tilting it slightly so her bangs wouldn't slope into her eyes.

"Where'd you get that? I've never seen it before," Edmund suddenly asked as he pointed at her necklace. Peter shot him a look and he instantly lowered his arm. He forgot that it was rude to point. Sometimes he liked having Peter around but when it comes to times when Peter is on his back about rules of etiquette he could care less.

"My step-dad found it in a drawer. It used to be my Mums," Crystal responded as she put her foot down and grasped the pendant. A tingling sensation spread through her fingertips as it suddenly became ice cold. That always happened to Crystal when she held it so she didn't flinch anymore when she grasped it. It still puzzled her but she had no answers to her own questions.

"It looks really familiar," Susan spoke up as she also looked at it.

"May we see it? I think it's beautiful," Lucy added with a grin. Crystal nodded as she reached behind her neck to unclasp the neck. She made a face before turning the chain around and looked down at it as she frowned.

"May I?" Peter asked as he stood. Crystal gave him a questioning look but nodded. Ever since she met the years earlier she's had to deal with Peter's constant offers to help her. She didn't know whether it was because she was a girl or because he thought she was weak. Either way, she usually wouldn't accept his help and did things her own way. She would rather play football and cricket with him and Edmund then sit around and play with dolls and have make-believe tea parties. Peter leaned closer and gently grasped the chain. His fingers brushed arcoss her neck and she tried not to flinch at the light touch. He unhooked it and pulled it away from his neck. He laid it on his palm and held it out for his siblings to see.

"What's wrong?" Crystal asked when she noticed all of the looks on their faces. As Crystal went to grab her necklace Edmund, Lucy, Susan, and Peter touched the stone. The tingling sensation filled shot up Crystal's fingers once more but this time it spread through her. She looked up and saw smiles on Lucy's and Susan's faces while Peter and Edmund exchanged a look. Crystal opened her mouth to say something but found that she could not talk. A loud whistling sound filled her ear and it only grew louder instead of getting softer. She looked around as the people, trains, and bricks started to blend together in color. She watched in shock as everything melted away and, finally, they were standing on a beach, high cliffs were behind them and a vast beach was in front of them. A large shadow loomed over head as the sound of the ocean lapping against he beach reached her ears and seagulls screeching filled the air. "What just happened?" Crystal demanded as she took her necklace out of Peter's grip and put it back around her neck.

"I knew it!" Lucy cheered as they all turned to look at her. "I knew Aslan would bring us back! It was just like in my dream!"

"Dream?" Peter questioned. "Lu, what dream?"

"I've had this dream every night since we came back," Lucy explained. "I would be here, alone. And then Aslan would show up, telling us that we needed to come back because some of the Talking Beasts are being killed by a new enemy, a strong one."

"A new enemy?" Susan asked. "Stronger than the White Witch?"

"I think so," Lucy responded.

"What're they after?" Edmund asked. "Did Aslan tell you that?"

"No. He doesn't even know himself. We're here to protect Cair Paravel and Narnia. They're attacking Cair Paravel. I think something is hidden there. I also have the feeling that the attackers are holding off on attacking until we least expect it."

"Wait a second," Crystal spoke up, causing them all to look at her as if they had never met her before. "What are you talking about? And where are we?" Before anyone could answer an arrow landed at Peter's feet. He looked up at the cliffs, eveyone else followed his lead. A smile broke onto Susan's face when she saw a man standing on the edge of the cliff.

"There's no time to explain," Peter said suddenly as he turned to her. "But we are in Narnia."


	2. Once a King or Queen of Narnia

**Aslan might be out of character because it is hard for me to write about him in a way that makes it sound like the way he would act. Did that make sense? Lol. **

**There's Suspian fluff in this chapter for all you Suspian lovers! **

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**Chapter 2 – Once a King or Queen of Narnia…**

Without a word Peter started walking up the beach at a fast pace. Lucy, Edmund, and Susan followed him. Crystal sighed and shook her head as she thought _'Same ol' Peter'_ before running to catch up to them. She finally looked up and gasped when she saw the large castle that was sitting on top of the cliffs. She stopped walking to look at it properly as the Pevensies kept walking. Lucy looked over her shoulder and hurried back to her. She grasped Crystal's hand, snapping her out of her stare, and gently but firmly tugged her after them. They climbed a set of stairs before stopping in front of the large stone doors.

"Cair Paravel," Susan whispered as Lucy smiled excitedly. Crystal remained silent as she looked around herself, admiring the breath taking view of the ocean and the surrounding area.

"Come on," Peter said before walking forward once more. Squeezing Crystal's hand, Lucy followed him and Susan and Edmund followed them. Crystal felt like the wind got knocked out of her when they made their way up the stairs and stepped through the doors of Cair Paravel. Centaurs and fauns held up swords in their honor as they stood perfectly still when the Pevensies passed. Lucy let go of Crystal's hand and nodded her head towards a faun that was standing nearby who had a dark scarf around his neck. Crystal nodded back in understanding as she went to stand by the faun, confused yet mystified.

It was then she noticed that the Pevensies school clothes had changed. Peter was wearing a blue and gold attire with a matching cloak-like cape and dark boots. Edmund wore the same thing but his clothes were silver. Susan was wearing a silver dress with a blue neck cape. Lucy was wearing the same but her dress was light blue and her cape was red. They all had different crowns on their heads but they were all elegant in their own way, littered with stones and diamonds. Crystal's eyes widened when a lion seemed to appear out of nowhere and stand in between the thrones that Peter and Susan were sitting in front of. He opened his mouth and he spoke, his voice rumbling.

"Once a King or Queen of Narnia...always a King or Queen of Narnia," Aslan stated as the Pevensies sat down.

"Long live King Peter," the audience chorused. "Long live King Edmund. Long live Queen Susan. Long live Queen Lucy." Applause and cheers became deafening as the sounds bounced off of the walls of the castle as the Pevensies smiled brightly and sat on their thrones. Aslan backed away as a man walked down the aisle. Peter locked eyes with him before standing and meeting the man at the bottom of the small stair set.

"King Caspian," Peter spoke up.

"I believe this belongs to you," Caspian said as he held out a sword that was still in its sheath. Peter grasped it and slowly pulled out the sword, smiling as the light from the glass roof reflected off of it. "Welcome back, My Lord." Caspian bowed respectfully as Peter slid Rhindon back into its' sheath.

"It's good to be back," Peter responded. He looked up at the audience before clearing his throat. "Narnians, we have come because we heard of a new threat that has been attacking Cair Paravel. Some Narnians have perished, but their spirits will not be forgotten. They have left this place making sure that the rest of you are safe, which was very noble. I..." he paused to look at Caspian who nodded slightly. "I mean, _we_, will do everything in our power to drive this new force out of Narnia for good." He paused to wait for the cheering to die down. He turned to Susan who stood and joined Peter and Caspian down on the floor as everyone fell silent.

"We are not alone. We have brought a special friend with us," Peter said as Susan walked over to Crystal and gently gripped her arm. She gave Crystal a look, telling her to keep her keep quiet for the time being. "She will be staying here with us and I expect you all to treat Crystal with the utmost kindness and respect." Aslan stepped forward once more so he was standing in between Peter and Caspian. "Do not be afraid," Peter said when he noticed the look on Crystal's face.

"I was told that someone else would be joining you when you returned," Aslan said as he locked his golden eyes with Peter's blue eyes. He wheeled around to look at Crystal, who flinched from his penetrating gaze. "Another Daughter of Eve," he said more to himself than to her. He looked her over and she tensed slightly, not liking the way he was looking at her. "You have the body physic of a skilled warrior."

"Thank…you?" Crystal said slowly.

"Not to be rude," Peter interrupted. "But I would feel a lot better if she were to stay inside and out of harms way, with Lucy."

"Peter," Edmund finally spoke up. "You know full well that she wouldn't want to sit inside while the rest of us are fighting."

"That's true, Edmund," Peter responded. "But I would feel a lot better if she stayed."

"Do I get any choice in the matter?" Crystal asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Peter, Edmund is right, I would rather be out there fighting with the rest of you instead of staying inside. I appreciate what you're trying to do," she added, stopping Peter from speaking when he opened his mouth. "But, if I'm going to stay here, I want to pull my weight around here. And you know that I'm a good fighter."

"That's true," Peter agreed with a sigh. "But-"

"The new beasts seem to only be after one thing," Aslan spoke up. "They're attacking the other Narnian Kingdoms because they know that the Kings and Queens reside somewhere in Narnia. What you really need now, especially King Peter, is protection." He turned his golden gaze to Crystal. He opened his mouth and let out a low growl, which caused Crystal to flinch slightly but a calming feeling instantly spread through her like a rushing river.

"I don't feel right about this," Peter sighed.

"How about this, then?" Edmund spoke up. "You can put her on this trial period. She can get taught how to use certain weapons, spar a bit, and then you can decide whether or not that she can become a warrior."

Peter locked eyes with Crystal who was giving him a hard challenging look. He sighed and nodded slowly, agreeing to Edmund's suggestion.

"If that is all settled," Lucy said as she got off of her throne. "The feast may begin!" As she raised her arms angelic music started to play. In the corner some fauns and centaurs were playing instruments that had a calming tone to it. Some centaurs and fauns started to eat while others started to dance. "Come with me. If it's all right you can share a room with me and we can get you a dress."

"A dress!" Crystal repeated as Lucy dragged her off. "Wait a second, Lu..." her voice trailed off as she was pulled away.

"You look...beautiful," Caspian said as he stood in front of Susan and smiled coyly. "Even more beautiful than the sunset," he added as he looked over her shoulder to the setting sun. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." He reached out and gently cupped her cheek with his right hand and stroked it with her thumb. Susan beamed as she gently reached up and placed her hand on top of hers as she smiled in content.

"I knew that you would," Susan whispered. "I kept praying for it. I always had a feeling we would be together sooner than we thought." She flung herself forward and wrapped her arms around his toned waist as she rested her head on the crook of his neck, taking in his sent and sighing happily. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and gently played with the end strands of her hair as he took in her strawberry scent. It sent his heart into a frenzy to know that he could hold her again, and take in her scent like he always dreamed of doing. She pulled away and moved her left hand to his shoulder and placed her right hand in his left. He got the hint and moved his right hand down to her waits and pulled her close so their bodies were touching as they gently moved to the music, never taking their eyes off of one another.

"They make me positively ill," Edmund commented from his seat at the table. He was holding his silver goblet in his hand and he was staring across the room at the swaying couple. He had a disgusted look on his face that made Peter smile at him in a teasing way.

"You won't think that when you fall in love, Ed," Peter pointed out. He laughed at the horrified look that was on Edmund's face as he dropped his goblet. It landed on the table and started to teeter but Edmund quickly reached out and grabbed it. Once he set it down he turned to look at Peter.

"Tell me you're joking," Edmund pleaded.

"I kid you not," Peter said as he put down his own goblet. Edmund couldn't help but noticed that his was gold, slightly bigger than Edmund's, and the stones on his were bigger and far more elegant. "You should be interested in women now, but since you don't seem to be showing any interest, it'll happen when you least expect it. Who knows, you might end up falling in love with a Telmarine yourself."

"Shut up," Edmund snapped before picking up his fork and knife to begin to attack his food. Peter smiled as Edmund furiously cut into his meat that was sitting on his plate. He stabbed it with so much force his silver plate tilted, almost spilling it's contents on the long table. Chuckling, Peter shook his head at Edmund's immaturity before bringing his goblet to his lips.

* * *

"Wow," Crystal gasped as she looked around Lucy's room. It was vast and filled with antique dressers and elegant sheets. On the right hand wall was her bed that stuck out in the middle of the room. It had a canopy with sheets that matched the color of the sheets on the bed: lilac purple. Next to it was a tall wardrobe that Lucy was walking over to. Across the room was a desk with a window that looked out at the ocean, a perfect view. On both sides were tall bookshelves were stacked with books. On the desk were pieces of paper and an assortment of pens and pencils. On the wall to the left was a large door that opened out to a balcony where two chairs were set up. "This your room? It's so big."

"All of the rooms here are like this," Lucy explained. "It was hard for us to get used to but eventually the size is normal. You should see the library though, now that room is big." Crystal looked over at her to see that she was moving clothes in the wardrobe aside. "Ah, I think this will fit you," she said as she pulled a dress down. Crystal flinched when she looked it over. To her, it was ok looking, but she would never wear a dress or a skirt unless she was forced into it.

"Do I have to wear that?" Crystal asked as she made a face.

"Yes," Lucy replied. "I didn't like wearing a dress a first, but everyone here expects you to act and dress like a lady."

"Then I might as well go and get myself killed now because the only way you'll get that on me is if you put it on me during my funeral," Crystal said as she crossed her arms over her chest and stood defiantly on the other side of the room, near the balcony.

"You have to wear it," Lucy insisted.

"No I don't." Crystal shook her head. "You're not the boss of me."

"Technically," Lucy said slowly. "I am. I _am_ a Queen of Narnia, after all." She didn't say it in a teasing tone, or a superior tone, more like a reminding tone. She sighed. "Don't make me get Peter." She knew that getting Peter into the conversation would end up getting Crystal and Peter into a fight, one that Peter almost always won and Crystal knew it. She scowled before taking the dress from Lucy and moving to the bathroom. "Change as fast as you can. I want to go and dance with some friends of ours. I haven't seen them in so long."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Crystal said before she closed the door behind herself.

* * *

"I wonder what is taking Crystal so long," Susan commented as she put down her fork and knife. After dancing many dances with Caspian she felt the need to sit down and talk with some of the Narnians. Caspian, who was sitting across from her, kept shooting glances at her, which caused her to blush. He would also gently placed his hand on her knee and give it a little squeeze. "Lucy should have found her a dress by now."

"You know her," Peter told her. Susan noticed that he had a tone of disdain that followed his words. "She fought for hours about wearing a skirt for your school uniform. She would fight about having to look and behave like a lady while she's here." Susan gave him a look. "I'm not saying that she can't do it," he quickly added. "But she's more..."

"She's more rough 'n' tough than prim and proper," Edmund filled in for him. Susan just sighed before turning to speak to a faun that was sitting by her. Edmund opened his mouth to ask Peter something but his jaw fell and his fork and knife clanged loudly against his plate as he let them go.

"Ed, what is your problem?" Peter hissed in a hushed tone. Edmund could only point. Peter made a face before following where he was pointing. His eyebrows rose as his mouth opened slightly. He regained his composure and slapped Edmund's arm. "Stop pointing, it's rude."

"Would you two stop staring?" Crystal grumbled as she and Lucy stood by the table. Susan and Caspian also looked up once the two joined the table. Crystal's hair was pulled back out of her face and held back by a blue stone studded barrette. Her dress was ice blue with white embroidery that ran along the edges and her cloak-like cape was a crystal blue that matched her eyes. Her necklace sparkled against her neck, which drew attention to the stones that littered the front and the glitter that rested on the bare skin between the cloak and the dress.

"You look amazing," Susan said with a smile.

"Thanks," Crystal said with a sigh before pulling back her chair to sit down. Edmund jumped up and went to her side of the table as Peter stood.

She gave him an odd look so he felt compelled to say, "A man must rise when a woman approaches the table and he must help her into her seat." As she sat he pushed her chair into the table before he did the same to Lucy. Edmund and Peter sat down in their seats in unison. Crystal gave Susan and Lucy a look and they just giggled behind their palms. Crystal rolled her eyes before picking up her fork and knife. _'God, it'll be hard getting used to this.'_


	3. The Difference Between Boys and Men

**Chapter 3 - The Difference Between Boys and Men**

"Oh, will you just forget about it all ready?" Peter asked in exasperation. He was sitting on the wooden fence and stroking the nose of his unicorn. He could tell that the unicorn felt every emotion that was running through him and he wanted to calm Peter down. Peter rested the side of his head on the unicorn's nose and exhaled gently. The unicorn's ears flicked from the air moving across his nostrils but he remained still.

"No, I won't," Crystal said from the ground as she rubbed the horse's nose as Edmund climbed onto the fence and sat down so he could brush the horse's hair. "It was way too funny for me to forget that easily. Now, what was her name again?" Edmund snickered as he leaned back to brush the horse's back. He made sure he was leaning back for enough so Peter wouldn't be able to hit him.

"Princess Isabella," Peter responded with a sigh. He saw the look on Edmund's face and tried to stop the smile that was tugging at his lips. He looked down below and watched Lucy skipping across the beach. Susan and Caspian were walking behind her, talking about one thing or another. Peter pointed out earlier that Crystal should be watching her but Lucy protested, saying she could take care of herself. Not wanting to deal with two angry women, he caved. "Stop laughing!" Peter said as he turned to look at Edmund and Crystal who were biting their lips to keep from laughing out loud. "It's not that funny."

"Peter, come on, you were trying hard not to laugh and _you_ were the one that was dancing with her," Edmund pointed out. Peter felt ashamed for making fun of the young girl but he had to admit, it _was _pretty funny.

"Tell the story again," Crystal urged. "I can't believe I missed it. King Peter, running away from a girl." She turned and grinned at him. "_Very_ manly Peter, very manly."

"Shut up," he said as he dropped down from the fence. "And I did not run away...I had to go talk to someone."

"Which was why you ran so fast. It makes sense now," Edmund said while chuckling. Peter rolled his eyes but smiled a little.

"Do you want to go for a ride, or not? Because I am perfectly capable of leaving you here," Peter said as he stood on the fence before sliding onto the unicorn's back.

"Hey, I'm coming," Edmund said as he tossed the brush into a nearby metal bucket. "Are you ready to go, Phineas?" He asked as he turned to look at the horse.

"Of course, Edmund," he responded, causing Crystal to jump and let out a little squeak.

"How can animals talk?" Crystal asked as she shook her head.

"They use of vocal chords might help," Peter commented from the unicorn's back.

"Just because you're up there doesn't mean I can't bring you back down," Crystal commented as she glared at him.

"You can trust them," Edmund said as he motioned to the horses. "They're really loyal," he added as he affectionately.

"I don't know," Crystal said in an uncertain tone as she looked around the pen. "How do I know that they won't buck me off as soon as I get on one."

"You don't."

"You're very reassuring, Ed," Peter said before sliding off of his horse. "Come here," he told Crystal as he held the unicorn still. She gave him a suspicious look but went over to him anyway. Before she could do anything, He placed his hands on her waist and easily lifted her and put her down on the unicorn's back.

"If you think I'm riding side saddle, you can forget it," she said as she looked down at him.

"Yeah, yeah," Peter sighed before stepping into the stirrup before sitting down in the saddle behind her. Edmund shot Peter and amused smirk before steering his horse towards the gate of the horse pen.

* * *

"I still can't believe you're back," Caspian said in a soft tone, as if speaking any louder would shatter reality.

"I can't believe it either," Susan admitted. "But what I don't understand is how not much time passed by since we were gone. We were gone a year before and 1300 years had passed. Now, it's like only four months have passed, which was the same amount of time that passed in my home."

"Aslan might have had something to do with it," Caspian suggested.

"He can turn people from stone back to their normal forms," Susan agreed. "But why would he change time? I don't-" She stopped in the middle of her sentence when Caspian grasped her hand, pulled her close, and closed the gap between them with a gentle kiss that was filled with passion and longing. Susan sighed happily as she returned the kiss with the same amount of passion. Her hands snaked their way up his arms until they rested on his shoulders and her fingers played with his hair. Caspian locked his arms around her waist and held her tight in his secure embrace, as if she would be gone if he let go. "Wow," she whispered once she pulled away. "I've been looking forward to that ever since I came back."

"I've been looking forward to being with you," he said as he hugged her and rested his chin on her head. She held him as everything around her seemed to blend into one color. That was all she needed, she would be happy just being with Caspian for the rest of her life. They pulled away and Caspian took Susan's hand. She beamed, gently leaning against them as they continued walking along the beach. Something about the tone in Caspian's voice was nagging at her thoughts but she pushed them away, she didn't want to ruin the perfect moment that she, previously, could only dream about. "It's getting late," he said in his exotic accent, breaking her thoughts. "I'll walk you back," he added as he lightly ruffled Lucy's hair. Susan hadn't noticed that Lucy had joined them and she also didn't notice that the sky had darkened considerably. That's one of the affects Caspian had on her.

"Caspian, did the beasts attack a lot while we were gone?" Lucy asked as the trio walked back up the beach.

"Not too much, but they did destroy some parts of the other Narnian Kingdoms. They made sure it was repaired so they wouldn't have any weak spots to hit," Caspian explained. "It's strange. No one knows what land the new beasts originated from and no one knows how to stop them. They are stronger than any enemy we have fought against."

"Su, do you think they're stronger than the White Witch or Miraz?" Lucy asked as her eyes widened in fear. Susan looked down at her little sister and bit her lip as she tried to think of an answer. Lucy was a strong girl but she could never fight in battle, she never wanted to see any one dying for them.

"No matter how strong they are, Lu, we can take them," Susan said, hoping that her voice was strong. "We will always be able to protect Narnia, no matter what happens."

Lucy grinned and started skipping happily once more. Susan looked up and noticed that they were at the bottom of the stair case that lead up to the Great Hall. Lucy noticed Peter, Edmund, and Crystal standing at the top and she started running up the stairs to them. Susan looked at Caspian who held back. "Don't you stay here too?" She asked in confusion.

"Of course, King Peter made sure I had a room to stay in," Caspian responded. "I'm just going to take a quick patrol around the castle and check in with the guards before I go in." He stepped forward and placed another breathtaking kiss on Susan's mouth. "Goodnight and pleasant dreams." Susan smiled and held onto his hand as she walked up the stairs. She finally let go when she stepped out of his reach.

"I have never seen you this happy, Su," Lucy commented as the girls wove in and out of centaurs, fauns, and other Talking Beasts that were leaving the Great Hall.

"And all because of a boy," Crystal said in a disgusted tone.

"Man," Susan corrected her. "Caspian is not a boy, he is a man."

"Like there's a difference when it comes to guys."

"I can see why you wouldn't know the difference," Susan stated as they started up another set of stairs as they made their way to their rooms.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I think she means that you don't know the difference between boys and men because you always do stuff with guys in a guy way, not a girl way," Lucy supplied. "It's not a bad thing," she quickly added. "I like that about you, it makes you different. And who else would have taught me how to play Cricket right?"

"And by 'right' you mean by clobbering Edmund in the process?" Susan asked with a laugh. She couldn't help it; the memory was too funny to forget. They had recently been evacuated and the Pevensies were staying at the Professor's house. Crystal lived in a house nearby and walked fifteen minutes there and back everyday just so she had something to do. She taught Lucy how to hit the Cricket ball and it, in turn, ended up hitting Edmund on the head. He made sure never to play Cricket when Lucy was at bat in case he got hit again.

"Hey, whoever said Cricket doesn't cause any physical harm obviously hasn't met me," Crystal said in a proud tone as her eyes sparkled. "And it was an accident."

"Every time you went to bat you 'accidentally' hit him," Susan said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Lucy laughed as they all went into Susan's room and sat down on her bed.

"Ugh, how in the world do you like wearing these things? You can't even sit down right!" Crystal groaned as she tried to find a way to sit down while wearing her dress. She finally copied the pose that Susan and Lucy were in: they were leaning on their right arm while their legs were slightly curled but were lying on their sides.

"The dresses are lovely and the tailors spend all day working on them for us," Susan told her.

"Are you really saying that or is it only because Caspian likes it?" Crystal asked as she raised her eyebrows. She just blushed as Crystal sighed. "You see? This is the problem with boys; they turn your brain into mush."

"Caspian is a man," Susan told her once more. "There's a difference. He's mature; he puts other people before himself. He actually listens to what people have to say and he is sensitive to their feelings and…and," she as she blushed, "he's good looking."

"I don't know you anymore."

* * *

Peter knocked on Lucy's bedroom door and waited for her acceptance for him to enter. He didn't need to check up on her or his other siblings anymore, but it was a habit and he was glad to know that they still embraced it, even if they were rulers of a different world. As the older brother he liked to know that his siblings were where they were supposed to be and that they were safe. He didn't have to carry on the tradition anymore but he couldn't break the habit.

"Come in, Pete," Lucy's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. Peter turned the lock and pushed open the door, stepping into Lucy's purple furnished room. She was sitting on a couch in the corner, a book on her lap. She looked up at him and smiled as she pointed to the empty seat next to her. He sat down next to her and closed her book as she turned her attention to him.

"I wanted to ask you something," Peter told her.

"It's about my dream, isn't it?" Lucy guessed.

"Yeah," Peter said with a nod. "Why didn't you tell me about it, Lu? You know you can talk to me about anything."

"I know, Peter," Lucy sighed. "But I didn't want to worry you, and you _always_ worry. I'm grown but you still treat me like a little kid, like how young I was when we first came to Narnia." She paused. "I'm sorry. I know I should have told you, but I wanted to make sure I knew about my dream before I said anything. I didn't know that we would come back to Narnia. I've been having dreams about Narnia since we got back to England the second time and nothing had happened in those."

"Could you just tell me what happened? As much as you remember, it might help with how I can set our new fighting tactics," Peter said gently. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I do," Lucy told him. "I remember the beach. I was standing on the beach at night, the moon was full and it cast everything in this silver glow. The shadows from Cair Paravel surrounded me. I could hear screams every time the wind blew but I didn't know where they were coming from. I then turned around and saw Aslan, he warned me about the new beasts. He doesn't know anything about them and when I asked about it he only said that there is much more that we need to learn."

"What I want to know is who is leading this army," Peter said after a few minutes of silence. "Was that it?"

"My other dreams weren't about something bad like that. They were mainly about us being Kings and Queens again, having a peaceful reign, nothing bad happened," Lucy admitted. "The peculiar thing was that Crystal was in my dreams too."

"Really?" Peter asked. "What'd she do in them?"

"I didn't know her role in Narnia, she was just there, like she always has been since we met her," Lucy replied. She was quiet before her yawn interrupted the silence. "I'm tuckered. I think I'll go to bed now." Peter stood as did Lucy. She pushed her covers down and climbed onto her bed. Peter reached down and pulled them up over her. He then leaned over and gently kissed her on the forehead.

"Night Lu," he whispered as he smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, Pete," Lucy said as her eyes closed halfway. "Peter?"

"Yes, Lu?" He asked as he stood by the door, looking back at her.

"Su, Crys, and I were talking about the difference between a boy and a man earlier," she started. "You're definitely a man. You and Edmund."

"Thanks Lu," Peter said softly before blowing out the candle that was on the wall by the door. He closed the door behind himself before going down the hall to Edmund's room. He knew that Edmund was still awake so but he knocked on the door anyway, because that was the polite thing to do. Edmund called him in as he looked up from his desk where papers were sitting on top. "What're you doing, Ed?" Peter asked once he stopped by the desk.

"I got some information on the new beasts from some of the guards," Edmund explained. "I thought that they would help us when we try to decide on how to deal with them."

"That's a good idea," Peter admitted. "I never would have thought of that."

"Of course you wouldn't," Edmund said with a smile. "You're spending too much time trying to get away from the many women that their dads are forcing on you to marry."

"You take pleasure in this don't you?" Peter asked, trying to be mad.

"I am, actually. I'm really glad I'm not eighteen right now," Edmund responded.

"Night, Ed," Peter said as he turned to walk out of the room. Edmund looked down at the paper on his desk and tapped it with his fingers before letting out a small sigh.

"Pete, could you hold on a tick?" Edmund called, stopping him. Peter stopped and went back over to the table. "How do you do it?" He finally asked after fidgeting with a pen.

"Do what?" Peter asked in confusion.

"Do what you do," Edmund said with a sigh. "You're only eighteen yet you have a country to rule over, an army to build up, and many women trying to get your attention so you can marry them. How do you deal with the stress?"

"Almost eighteen," Peter corrected. "I admit it is hard," Peter added as he scratched his head. "But I know that I can't show how stressed out I am or no one would take me seriously anymore. I know, when I become and adult, I would have to take on more responsibilities so I'm taking it one day at a time."

"And how do you..." Edmund hesitated, letting his voice trail off. "Nevermind, it's stupid."

"What, Ed? Just ask me."

"How do you...get girls to notice you? Even the ones that aren't trying to marry you?"

"You like someone," Peter deduced with a smile.

"No I don't!" Edmund suddenly said in a semi-fierce tone. "I'm just curious."

"Ok, relax." Peter said as he held up his hands in defense. "Just be you, no girl likes a fake. I have to check on Susan. Night Ed."

"Night Pete," Edmund sighed before turning his attention back to his papers.

Peter closed the door behind him and laughed out loud, his soulful laugh echoing off of the walls. Some guards gave him a confused look as he continued down the hall to get to Susan's room. Like the two rooms before he knocked and waited patiently for Susan to either let him in or call him in. "Come in!" Peter twisted the knob and walked into the room.

"Sorry, I didn't know that it was Girl Time," Peter said once he noticed Crystal.

"Don't make me sick," Crystal said as she rolled her eyes.

"What is it Peter? We were about to go to sleep," Susan said as the two girls slid off of her bed.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was all right in here," Peter responded.

"With her around I think I'm safe," Susan said with a laugh as Crystal smirked proudly.

"So, what is going on between you and Caspian? I need to make sure if I'm going to have a new brother," Peter said with an amused look on his face.

"What I do or don't do with Caspian is my business Peter," Susan said patiently. "But I'll let you know if anything goes over my head and I can't deal with it on my own. Or I can't rely on Lu and Crys to help me."

"That better be a promise," Peter said before crossing the room and hugging her. "But if he does anything to hurt you, I won't hesitate to show him the error of his ways." He squeezed her a little bit, showing her his affection. "Night Su," Peter said before letting her go. "I'll walk you back to Lucy's room. It takes a while to remember where everything is in here," He added once he turned his attention to Crystal.

"I think I'll manage, Peter," Crystal said with an eye roll. "I may be younger than you but I'm not a baby. I don't need you holding my hand and doing things for me every day of my life."

"I'm just trying to be helpful," he said as they left the room.

"Yeah, well, you're trying too hard," she said with a sigh. She smiled slightly before nodding at him and making her way down the hall. Peter smiled a little before turning around and going in the opposite direction to his room.

He let out a sigh once he closed the door behind himself and took in the familiar scent of his room. He looked at the bed and saw that a maid had laid out his bed clothes for him. He told himself to thank her before going over to his desk. He noticed and envelope on the desk with his name on the front. With a puzzled look on his features he picked up the letter and tried to recognize the handwriting. He couldn't remember anyone with that handwriting so he sat down and lit the candle that was on the desk before opening the letter and reading the cursive script:

_Dear High King Peter, the Magnificent_

_I am writing you in a time of need. My land has been destroyed by the __Shadow Knights__. I am not aware if you know who they are, we don't even know where these creatures came from. I know it is too soon for me to ask for your assistance but we need a place to stay and, as the King of Rayuvial, I was hoping that you would help me and my Kingdom. You need all of the help you can get to defeat these creatures, and I believe that, together, we can stop them. Please respond as soon as we can, we need you and, most importantly, your hope._

_King Elvrond, the Noble_


	4. The Trials of High King Peter

**Chapter 4 - The Trials of High King Peter**

Peter did not get a lot of sleep that night, which he knew would impact his performance the next day. He finally fell asleep around three in the morning. His head was resting on his desk and his hand still held his pen as he started to write a decent reply to the King, waiting for his reply, but sleep overpowered him and forced him to stop writing. He was so tired he didn't even wake up when the rising sun shone its bright light directly on his face.

"Peter's not up yet?" Susan asked Lucy once the young girl skipped into the great hall, the two braids that her hair had been tied into lightly slapped against her back. "That's unlike him."

"Would you like for me to wake him?" Lucy offered.

"I would very much like that, Lu," Susan responded. "Tell him that he has to bathe and be ready for Princess Isabella who should be arriving shortly."

"Ok, Su," Lucy said eagerly before skipping her way back out of the Great Hall. She almost ran into Edmund on her way out. "So, sorry, Ed," she apologized as Edmund jumped out of her way. "I'm just on my way to wake up Peter."

"Wake up Peter?" Edmund repeated as he walked over to Susan. "What does she need to wake him for? He's usually the first one awake. What do you think is the matter?"

"I guess he was working last night," Susan said with a sigh. "I wish he wouldn't, he's only going to make himself more tired than he all ready is." She sighed once more. "And Princess Isabella is coming later with her father to see if Peter is suitable to be her husband."

"I thought she went through that last night," Edmund said as he picked an apple off of the table and took a bite out of it.

"She did, but now she wants to spend time with him alone to be sure," Susan responded with a small smile. She knew how uncomfortable Peter had felt being with Princess Isabella by the expression on his face the night before, but she never knew what it was that made him that uncomfortable. But she had spoken to Princess Isabella and she couldn't stop talking about how wonderful she thought Peter was. When her father heard about Peter, Susan spoke to him herself and arranged it for her to stay at Cair Paravel for about a week to see if she really wanted to be with him.

"Boy, I feel bad for Peter," Edmund said in a somewhat sad tone, despite his smile. "I really do."

"It shows," Susan said with a laugh. She jumped but instantly relaxed when she felt Caspian's arms slide around her waist and held her in a secure embrace. "Don't do that, you nearly gave me a fright," she said as she turned around to look into Caspian's dark eyes as she smiled.

"I'm sorry, Queen Susan," he apologized.

"Susan," she corrected. "Just Susan will be fine."

"Just Susan will be fine," Edmund repeated in a mocking tone. Susan sighed in a frustrated manner. She was glad that Edmund changed from his quiet moody self to a talkative cheerful young-man ever since they came back from Narnia the second time. Sometimes she missed him being quiet, moody, and defensive, but she really missed it now. It seems like as he grew older he grew more immature so he resulted in mocking people and teasing them to bring some enjoyment to his life. _'As soon as I have time I'm going to find a suitor for Ed'_ Susan told herself. "Ed, go find Crystal."

"Why?" Edmund asked.

"She's our guest, not to mention one of our friends and I think you should entertain her for the day," Susan responded patiently.

"Ok, ok, I'm going," Edmund said as he walked off.

"Sorry about him," Susan apologized as she tilted her head back slightly to speak to Caspian properly.

"Do not apologize, Queen Susan," Caspian said before kissing the tip of her nose. "He is merely trying to have a bit of fun. We need it sometimes, it seems like the only thing we do in Narnia now is fight battle after battle, war after war."

"I'm glad you understand," she said as she gripped his hands. "Now, I must ask you a favor."

"Anything," he said as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face and gently tucked it behind her ear. Susan shivered at his touch as she blushed and he smiled lovingly. "What is it that you need?"

"Peter will be busy all day with Princess Isabella so she can see if he is suitable to be their husband and I'm going to be entertaining her father while we wait for them to come back," Susan explained. "Edmund and Crystal will be out of the way but I also have to make sure they don't cause any trouble. I will need someone to look after Lu, and I was hoping you would do that for me. It would make me rest easy to know that she was in good hands."

"It'll be my pleasure to look out for Queen Lucy," Caspian responded as he bowed slightly. "I'll make sure she does not get into any trouble."

"I'm not worried about that, I'm worried that she would go and spy on Peter," Susan responded. "She has some sort of...protection thing over him. She would try to sabotage anything he does with a girl that she doesn't see fit for him."

"She's a smart girl," Caspian explained. "She would want Peter to marry someone that you all would like to have in your family. She's as smart as you are beautiful."

"Your compliments will go to my head," Susan said with a teasing smile.

"But they are true."

"I never said I didn't believe you."

* * *

"Peter! Oh, Peter!" Lucy called as she skipped down the corridor. She smiled and waved at some servants and soldiers who passed by her. They stopped and bowed and/or curtsied in respect for their Queen. Lucy beamed as she continued on to Peter's room. She looked out the windows that were by her side and was, once again, mystified by the beauty of the ocean. "Peter!" She called again as she skipped into his room. She placed her hands on her hips when she saw that he was asleep at his desk, his hair would blow off of his forehead as he exhaled but would rest on it once more when he inhaled. "Susan is waiting for you and you're still asleep? Honestly!"

She waited for him to acknowledge her presence but he did nothing but continue sleeping. Lucy took the quill that was sitting in a cup with an assortment of pens and pencils and held the feather under his nose. She waved it slightly, causing him to wrinkle his nose and slowly open his eyes. "Good morning Lu," he said with a yawn as he sat up and stretched. He looked at her from half-closed eyelids as he asked, "What're you doing in my room?"

"Waking you up, of course," she responded. "Susan said for me to tell you that you should hurry up and bathe. The Daughter of Lord Auren is coming today to see if you are suitable to be her suitor."

"What?" Peter cried out in shock, his eyes flying open as he jumped up from his seat, suddenly wide awake. "You can't be serious."

"I am," Lucy responded. "Susan told me about it this morning."

"Susan must have been the one to set this up," Peter muttered under his breath.

"The Princess must like you a lot if she wants to be with you again this soon," Lucy pointed out. "What is it that you don't like about her?"

"She's a wonderful girl," Peter admitted. "But...she speaks ill of the other Princesses and I will not have that. A High Queen has to treat others the way they want to be treated and if she can't respect anyone else, then they won't respect her." Lucy nodded in understanding as Peter sighed. "I can't not show up but I don't want to be alone with her. And I don't want to have to hear her speaking of the Princesses, Dutchesses, and Countesses in that way before I have even met them."

"If she fancies you that much why don't you just tell her? If she wants to be with you that much then she would change for you," Lucy told him. "If I were in her place I would change for you because you're that amazing."

"Thanks Lu." He thanked her with a gracious smile. "What are you doing today?"

"I was going to help plant flowers in the garden," she responded. "I won't leave the castle grounds if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm worried about a lot of things, but you are one of the most important. I can't let you get hurt with those Beasts on the loose, especially since we don't know what they are capable of. You, Susan, and Edmund are my top priority."

"Hurry and get ready," Lucy said before leaving the room. She took her time, walking down the corridor, admiring the paintings that were on the wall and the statues that lined the hall. Servants bowed in her presence as she passed and greeted her humbly. "Hello, Caspian," she greeted him once she noticed him looking at a picture.

"Hello, Queen Lucy," he addressed her with a small bow.

"You don't have to bow to me, you are a King yourself, after all," Lucy pointed out.

"That's true, but you are a Queen of Old and you have my utmost respect," Caspian replied. "Where are you off to on this beautiful morning?"

"I was on my way to the garden to plant some flowers. Would you care to join me?"

"I'd be delighted."

Lucy giggled as she hooked arms with Caspian and he led her down the corridor to the Great Hall. They were greeted by the sight of Isabella who stood with Susan but looked really impatient. Her golden hair was pulled into a low ponytail that rested on her left shoulder. Her arms were crossed and her shoulders were slouched slightly, not the stance of a proper princess. She was talking to Susan but her body language told her that Isabella didn't want to be there.

"I apologize for have kept you waiting, it was very rude of me," Peter announced as he walked into the Great Hall.

"It's quiet all right, Your Highness," Princess Isabella said as she smiled at him and coyly wrapped a strand of hair around her finger. "Susan was telling me a lot about Cair Paravel. From what I've seen so far it is a very beautiful place to stay."

"Thank you, we take great pride in keeping up with the gardening around here," Peter told her.

"I shall leave you two alone," Susan said before turning to Lord Auren. "May I show you to your room?"

"That would be wonderful, Queen Susan," he said before hooking arms with her. She gave Peter a look before escorting the Lord out of the Great Hall.

"And who might you be?" Isabella asked as she turned her attention to Caspian and Lucy.

"That is my sister Queen Lucy," Peter said as she motioned to her and she curtsied. "And that is King Caspian."

"Oh, is Susan married to him?" Isabella asked innocently. "He's quite a catch."

"I'm not married," Caspian replied with a slight blush. He has that same reaction every time he heard someone talking about himself and Susan. Some servants had suspected that they were engaged but Caspian had never said anything to correct them but he never denied it either.

"I think I've heard of you. Aren't you that Telmarine that is the nephew to Miraz?" Isabella questioned. Caspian kept his mouth shut but nodded slightly. He didn't like reliving his past and he would do best if he could forget it.

"Princess Isabella," Peter started.

"Bella," Princess Isabella interrupted him with another coy smile. "I prefer Bella, it means 'beautiful'."

Peter tried to force a smile but it came out more like grimace. "Ok, Bella, would you like to take a walk so I can give you a tour of the grounds of Cair Paravel?"

"I would be delighted," Princess Bella said excitedly as she grabbed his arm and literally started yanking him towards the stairs. She stopped so suddenly that Peter ran into her and his crown almost fell off of his head. He put a hand up to it and pushed it back into place. He looked around when he felt that it was lifted from his head and he turned to see that a servant took it, smiling at him to let him know it would be in good hands. He smiled back before turning to Princess Isabella when he felt her grip tighten on his arm. "Hello." Peter noticed now that her voice was cold and her eyes were hard. "Who are you?"

"Crystal Manning," she responded. "I'm a friend of Peter's." Peter held her gaze. "_High King_ Peter," she corrected herself.

"She's also…a bodyguard…trainee," Peter said slowly as he made a face.

"Is she coming with us?" Princess Isabella asked as she looked back at Peter.

"Uh...yes, I have to make sure you come back as fit as you are now," he told her. "But she will...protect us from a distance." When Isabella looked up at him Crystal gave him a questioning look but quickly switched her features to take an apathetic look when Isabella looked back at him. Peter gave her a look as if asking for her help and she nodded so slightly that he almost didn't catch it.

"As long as she doesn't ruin our date," Princess Isabella said as she glared at Crystal. Crystal glared back as Peter's eyes shifted back and forth between the two girls. '_This is the only time I feel that I am really scared,'_ Peter told himself.

"Pete, Susan told me to entertain Crystal today," Edmund commented as he came down the stairs partway so he was standing at Peter's height on the stair behind him.

"And we shouldn't get Susan mad now should we?" Crystal asked as she started up the stairs but Peter stopped her.

"Go tell Susan that there's been a change of plans. Besides, I need you to spar with some of the centaurs today," Peter said as he locked eyes with Edmund and gave him a hard look. Edmund's eyes shifted between his older brother and the two women as an amused look came onto his face.

"Have fun," he said with a small laugh before turning to go back inside the castle.

Peter put his hand on the small of Princess Isabella's back and led her down the stairs, he could hear Crystal following them a couple of paces behind. As he showed her the garden, the horse pen, and the lake Isabella told Peter all about how hard her life was and how she had to deal with little sisters that continued to destroy her jewelry and clothes. She claimed that Peter would be saving her if he ended up marrying her and she couldn't wait to get away from her sisters.

"Why do you want to get away from them so badly?" Peter asked. "You should love your family and they should mean the world to you." He put passion in his words because he knew, if he ever lost any of his siblings, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for putting them in danger in the first place. He also wouldn't be able to deal with the fact that he would go on with his life while his sibling(s) wouldn't be able to come back and finish theirs and it would end up eating him up inside.

"Oh, they do mean the world to me," Princess Isabella said quickly. "But I need to get away from them sometimes, to be by myself. Do you ever feel that way?"

"Never," Peter said politely. "We fight sometimes, but I would never want to be alone. I feel like I am myself when they're with me." They were sitting down on the grass by the lake. He was watching the water gently lap against the bank and, in the distance; he could hear a rushing water fall. Wild flowers surrounded them and birds chirping accentuated the beautiful area.

"Have you met Princess Rosalina?" Princess Isabella asked suddenly.

"No, I haven't had the fortune to yet," Peter said as he let out a sigh, knowing what was going to come next. Before Princess Isabella could continue with what she was going to tell him but a loud screech caused him to clap his hands over his ears. He looked up into the sky and saw a griffon coming down towards him, a winged horse was with it. Crystal jumped down from a tree nearby and rushed over to them.

"I feel something," she told him once she reached his side. "Something's happening." She grasped the necklace that was around her neck as the gryphon landed, causing the ground to shake slightly, the horse landed gracefully next to it.

"What's happening, Griffhook?" Peter addressed the gryphon as Princess Isabella cowered by his side.

"It's Cair Paravel, my Lord," he responded in a shaky breath. "It's being attacked!" Peter felt his heart stop when the words came out. "King Edmund has gathered a group to fight."

"And Susan and Lucy and Lord Auren?" Peter asked in alarm.

"Queen Susan and Lord Auren are fighting and I last saw that King Caspian took Lucy to hide, my Lord," Griffhook responded.

"Dad!" Princess Isabella gasped.

"We must go now. These beasts are far stronger than any that we have fought before."

"I was afraid of that," Peter muttered. "Ok, let's go!"

"Peter, we should think this through before you go charging into battle!" Crystal said as Peter hoisted Princess Isabella onto the winged horse's back before going over to Griffhook himself up onto Griffhook's back.

"We haven't any time!" He responded as Griffhook ran forward. Before Griffhook took off he grasped Crystal's wrist and lifted his arm up so she swung up off the ground and landed on the gryphon's back behind him. The two winged creatures took off into the air with a rush of wind. "Once we get back you go and stay in the castle. We need someone inside in case they make their way in."

"You can't go in there alone. Let me go with you!"

"You haven't had proper training yet and right now I need you to keep Lucy safe. If I lost her...I would never forgive myself!"

Crystal stayed silent the entire ride back. She held herself onto the gryphon but pressing her knees into its side. She leaned over and saw many creatures running on the stretch of land in front of the castle. Griffhook flew over to a tower on the castle, allowing Crystal to jump off as the winged horse landed down on the ground and let Princess Isabella off. "Peter!" Crystal called. He looked down at her. "Don't do anything stupid!" She turned to Princess Isabella. She would've laughed when she saw the scared look that was on her face but she knew it was no time. "Come on!"

* * *

"I knew I should have brought my sword with me!" Peter muttered to himself as he ran down the corridor of Cair Paravel to his room. He rushed in, trying to ignore the sounds of the fight as he grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. He pushed open the large glass doors that led to his balcony and looked down at the battle. He gripped the rail and, without thinking, jumped over the ledge. He felt his heart rise to his throat as he fell through the air. He landed on top of a slanted part of the castle and slid down it before landing on a ledge. He jumped over that balcony edge before landing on the ground, running. He regained his balance and drew out his sword before charging over a small hill. He swung his sword and it struck what looked like a wolf in the throat. It let out a howl of pain as Peter turned to attack the next wolf.

"Nice for you to show up, Pete!" Edmund called from where he was fighting. He jabbed his sword into a wolf's ribcage before pulling it back out.

"Not now, Ed!" Peter shouted back as he charged for the next wolf. He was about to hit it when he felt a heavy blow on his back and he landed on his stomach. He rolled around and saw the first wolf he attacked snapping his jaws. He held up his sword and the wolf clamped down on it. Using his strength, Peter managed to know the wolf off before pulling his sword, managing to draw blood from the wolfs mouth.

"Where's your armor and shield?" Caspian asked from where he was fighting along side Susan.

"I didn't have time to get it!" Peter responded as he swung his sword again. The wolf bit down on it and Peter was surprised to see that it was bending from the wolf's weight. He tried to pull it out as he kept an eye on the wolf to make sure his sword wouldn't break. A centaur slammed into the wolf, causing it to yip in pain and Peter got his sword back. _'These must be the creatures that King Elvrond was warning me about!' _He whirled around and turned his attention to the castle when he heard a loud scream.

* * *

Crystal ran down a corridor as fast as her legs would allow. She cursed the dress she was wearing as she continued running, ignoring Princess Isabella's gasps and pants. "Lucy!" She called as she continued running. She heard a sound somewhere down the hall so she kept running until she took a left, only to crash into Lucy. "Lucy, you shouldn't be out here. What if they find their way inside?"

"I can't stay in here!" Lucy responded. "I have to help."

"I'm sorry but I'm under Peter's orders to keep you here," Crystal responded.

"What's going on?" Princess Isabella asked. "Why're those...things attacking?"

"If we knew that we wouldn't be in this predicament!" Crystal snapped.

"We have to help!" Lucy spoke up.

"We can't," Crystal told her. "We have to hide."

"But-"

"Your siblings will be fine, Lu, I promise!"

"Ok," Lucy said with a sigh. "Follow me." She ran down the corridor, holding onto her crown as her hair bounced behind her. Crystal and Princess Isabella stayed close as Lucy navigated through the castle. They went into a room and Lucy quickly closed the door behind them. She then opened another door and revealed a set of stairs which she ran down. Princess Isabella quickly followed but Crystal hesitated. She looked around and spotted a quiver and a bow and grabbed them before grabbing a knife and going down the stairs. She closed the door behind them and it slammed shut with a loud clang, causing Princess Isabella to scream. The light from the candles on the wall lit there way down to a cellar-like room. "We can stay here."

"How do you know about this place?" Crystal asked.

"I found it once when we were playing hide and seek. Peter got mad and thought Edmund lost me," Lucy responded. "I hope they're ok."

* * *

Peter held his side, he could feel it throbbing and he could feel blood dripping down it as he panted heavily. The wolves didn't seem like they were going to let up anytime soon. He glanced around and saw that Edmund was bleeding from a gash on his cheek and Caspian was shielding Susan from the wolves' attacks. Centaurs and fauns fought as best as they could but Peter knew there was no use, they were going to have to retreat. Before he could call the command the wolves stopped attacking and lifted their heads. They all turned and sprinted off, disappearing in the distance. Peter let out a breath and fell to his knee.

"Ed, are you ok?" He asked as he held his side.

"I'm fine," Edmund responded.

"Caspian?"

"I'm a little beat up but I'm fine."

"Su?"

"I'm fine too."

"Good," Peter sighed as he stood. "Where did they come from?"

"I don't know," Edmund admitted. "I was practicing when I got a call from a soldier that figures in the distance were coming closer. Since you weren't here I had to round up our fighters so we could stop them from entering the castle."

"They had to have been what King Elvrond was telling me about," Peter said as he put Rhindon back in its sheath. "Were these the same beasts that attacked before?"

"No. They were different. The ones before were like humans...but they weren't at the same time," Caspian responded. "It's hard to explain."

"Let's go find Lucy," Susan said as she joined Peter by his side. "You need to be healed," she pointed out when she looked at his scratch.

"I'm fine," Peter said in a dismissive tone. "Ed, you come with me. We need to figure this out."

"But Peter-"

"I'm _fine_ Su!" They all made their way back to the castle. Peter ignored the blood that dripped down his side and the dull pain that was in his leg as he climbed the hill. Once they set foot inside the castle Lord Auren, Princess Isabella, Crystal, and Lucy rushed over to them. "Lu," Peter sighed. "Thank god you're safe."

"I'm fine, Pete," Lucy said as she hugged him. "But you're not," she added as she looked at the gash on his side.

"It's a small scrape, Lu."

"Drink this anyway," she said in a defiant tone. He knew perfectly well that she wouldn't take no for an answer then. He took the cordial from her and took a sip. A funny sensation was at his side as he felt the wound close. He passed the cordial over to Edmund before turning to Lucy. "Nothing happened to you?"

"Even if it did we would have been protected, but no, nothing happened," Lucy responded.

"I see you listened to me for once," Peter commented as he turned to Crystal. "Thank you."

"There's no need for thanks," Crystal responded with a shadow of a smile.

He nodded in understanding but the look on Lucy's face grabbed his attention. She frowned as she looked around frantically. "Where's Aslan?" She asked in alarm. "Wasn't he with you?"

"No," Susan responded. "We didn't see him fighting. We thought he was in here with you."

"Where can he be, then?" Lucy asked as her eyes widened in fear. "Where could he have gone?"

"I'm sure he's fine, Lu," Edmund said in a gentle tone. "We can ask around to see if anyone has seen him," he said as he placed a shoulder and gently led her down the hallway.

"I'm so glad you're safe, King Peter!" Isabella cried as she threw her arms around his neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder. He hesitated before lightly patting her back in a soothing way. Caspian lifted his eyebrows as Susan shrugged in confusion.

"Your Highness, I have drawn a bath for you if you would like one," a servant said as she walked up to Peter, drying her hands with a towel as she smiled peacefully at him. Princess Isabella got a hostile look in her eyes when she turned to look at the servant.

"No thank you. I feel that I need to spar a little bit. Those beasts were stronger than I thought and I need to improve as much as I can incase they decide to come back," Peter told her. "But I wouldn't want the bath to go to waste. You can use it if you would like, I can make sure no on disturbs you."

"Oh, I couldn't," the servant said as she shook her head.

"I insist, you've worked hard enough, you deserve a rest," Peter said with a smile.

"Thank you, your Highness," she said with a curtsy before going back down the hall.

"If it would do you any justice, I could spar with you," Caspian volunteered.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Peter glanced over at the girls who stayed quiet. "Seeing as I agreed to Edmund's terms, Crystal, I'd like you to come with us. This way I can see how skilled you are at wielding a sword." He turned to Susan. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd love it if you kept Bella entertained while we are training."

"Of course, but try not to be late for dinner," she told him in a warning tone.

"I'll make sure we're back on time," Caspian assured her before he, Peter, and Crystal went down the hall to leave the castle. Caspian looked at her over his shoulder and Susan gave a little wave. Princess Isabella glared at the exchange but put on a happy face when Susan turned to face her.

"Would you like to visit the nursing kentaurides?" Susan asked Isabella.

"Sure, I love babies," Princess Isabella responded before the two girls walked down the hallway. _'Gosh, how can Peter stand being with such annoying family?'_

* * *

"You want me to do what?" Edmund asked as he jumped down from the fence that held the horses inside. He and Lucy had given up looking for Aslan when they didn't find him in the usual places so he and Lucy went to check on the horses and to groom them. Lucy was brushing the hair of a white pony that had brown spots on its flank.

"I want you to spar with Crystal," Peter repeated.

"I can't do that!" Edmund protested as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why not?"

"Because…well…she's a girl."

"Did you just figure that out?" Lucy asked with a teasing smile. Edmund gave her a look as Lucy laughed a little and went back to brushing the horse. "What's so wrong with her being a girl?"

"I can't fight a girl," Edmund said as he turned back to face Peter. "I can't hit a girl. It's practically against the law."

"It's not like you're trying to kill her, you're just sparing with her," Peter said as Caspian held his sword out to Crystal who took it. She was amazed by how heavy it felt when it seemed easy for Caspian to lift it and move around. "I would rather her not fight at all, seeing as none of this concerns her, but since you're so sure that she can fight, I want you to fight against her."

"If you're scared…" Crystal started, letting her voice trail off. She knew that accusing Edmund of a coward would coax him into anything.

"I'm not scared!" He said through clenched teeth before pulling out his sword. He held it in front of him. Crystal did the same so the blades were resting against each other' honey brown eyes were locked with crystal blue ones as they both smirked.


	5. A Valiant Proposal Part 1

**Chapter 5 - A Valiant Proposal Part 1**

"Are you two going to stop staring at each other and fight or what?" Lucy asked, breaking the Stare War that Crystal and Edmund were in. Edmund faltered slightly but didn't bring his guard up in time. Crystal, with a little bit of difficult, twisted her sword so Edmund's was pointed down at the ground and hers was on top of it.

He pulled his away and charged towards her, sword raised. She quickly held hers up and placed her palm on the flat blade as Edmund brought his sword down. She struggled to hold her sword up as Edmund pressed down on the blade with his own.

She managed to gather strength and push him back, making him take a step backwards to make sure he didn't fall. Crystal quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail before bringing up her sword to block Edmund who took that as an opportunity to come at her. She backed away, twisting her sword every which way to keep Edmund from nicking her. The blade caught the side of her dress and made a tear from her hip to her belly button.

"Ah man," she muttered as Edmund lowered his sword.

"Sorry," Edmund apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced over at Peter.

"Do you want me to take her to the seamstress?" Lucy offered from her position on the fence.

"It's not like I got hurt," Crystal protested. "Put your sword up, Ed, we're going to finish this fight."

Edmund's gaze shifted back and forth between the challenging look on Crystal's face to Peter's to see what he had to say about the situation. Peter sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Go on and finish, we can get the seamstress to fix the dress later. As long as it's still on her it's fine."

Crystal didn't wait for him to finish before running at Edmund. He quickly blocked her and moved out of the way so he was behind her. She quickly turned around to block him but he was faster than her. Using most of his strength he managed to force her sword into the air. As Crystal stumbled and fell to her knees Edmund caught her sword and held it next to her neck with his own, as if he were going to behead her. They were both panting heavily, a smirk was on Edmund's face and an amazed look was on Crystal's.

"Nicely done!" Lucy cheered as she applauded. Edmund drew the swords away and stuck the blades into the dirt so they were standing up by themselves. He offered her his hand and she accepted it, getting to her feet.

"You did well for a first timer," Edmund said with a bow.

"Thank you, _King_ Edmund," she said with an over exaggerated curtsy.

"Edmund's fine," he said as he pulled Caspian's sword out of the ground and tossed it to him. "Peter? What do you think?"

"She is quick, despite having an advantage against her," Caspian pointed out as a thoughtful look came to Peter's face.

"I'd like to see her try something else before I make my decision," Peter announced. He looked over when he noticed Lucy getting down from the fence. "Where are you going?"

"To the garden," Lucy responded.

"Alone?" Lucy nodded. "I'd feel better if someone went with you."

"I'm just going to the garden, Peter. What's going to attack me, a venus fly-trap?" Lucy laughed a little before holding onto her cordial before running off. Laughing was the only reaction she could display without being scolded for not acting like a lady. What she really wanted to do was yell at him until he understood that she wasn't a little kid anymore. "He's just looking out for you, Lu," she told herself. She smiled as peacefulness settled over her when she reached the garden. She walked the pathway and stopped to smell random flowers. She then skipped over to where a basket was perched on the edge of a flower bed and then went around to pick some flowers.

Lucy stopped in front of the red roses, like she always did. She looked around before kneeling in front of the flower bed. She leaned back so she was resting on her legs and she placed her hands on her lap. Next to her was a basket that was filled with different flowers of color and size. She sighed as she brushed a strand of her red hair out of her face as she looked around at the massive garden, trying to hold back her tears. Every time she went to plant flowers or to pick them memories of Mr. Tumnus helping her with the garden came into her mind. He was the one who first suggested having a garden in Cair Paravel and he was the one who helped her decide what flowers to plant. She missed her dear friend a lot and wished she could have talked to him once more before he died. She made a memorial for him in the middle of the rose flower bed to remember him.

"I'm sure he passed peacefully," Caspian told her. She didn't hear him come up so she jumped in surprise.

"I know," Lucy agreed as Caspian knelt beside her. "I just wish I could have seen him one more time. If I knew how Narnia time passed I would have tried to find a way to see him again."

"From what you told me about him I don't think he forgot about you," Caspian said once he noticed the troubled look on her face.

"That's not what I'm worried about," she responded.

"What's clouding your mind then? I can see it on your face." He watched as she reached forward and grasp a rose. She then used her knife to cut the stem and added it to your basket. "You can tell me anything, Queen Lucy, I promise I'll listen."

"You're probably the only one around here who listens to me," she muttered. "Well, besides Crystal." She sighed heavily and Caspian urged her to continue. "Susan talks to me about her girl problems. I may be only fourteen but I know enough to give her advice about some things. But when I have a question for her she is usually too busy to listen. Edmund, the only time we talk now is when he's planning on playing a trick on Peter to get him to lighten up. We do talk about other things, like memories we have of Dad, but we don't _talk_ talk. And Peter only listens to me when I've proved him right about something or we're talking about his troubles. \I love them all a lot, but they doesn't listen to _me_. I hate being stuck here or in a cave while the rest of you fight. I hate having to wait until you come back to hear who has died. I want to do something more significant than pouring healing liquid down people's throats. I want to help in some other way, but they won't let me because they claim I'm too young."

"Maybe...if you proved to them how strong you are..." Caspian suggested.

"Peter wouldn't have it," Lucy interrupted him with a somewhat bitter tone to her voice. "He always treats me like a little kid, like I can't do anything by myself. I may be small, but I can do a lot of things to help." She paused before turning to look at him. "Will you teach me how to fight?"

"I don't think I can do that," Caspian said with a sigh.

"Why not?"

"Because it will be against Peter's wishes," he responded. "And the last thing I need is for Peter to be mad at me over something so small that he can't focus incase we get attacked again."

"You don't think I can do it either!" Lucy accused.

"I never said that." Caspian shook his head before smiling a little. "I know you can do anything if you set your mind to it."

"Does that mean I can be beautiful too?" Lucy questioned. She spoke so quietly she was sure that he didn't hear her, but he proved her wrong.

"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.

"Nothing, nevermind," Lucy said in a dismissive tone. "I think I picked too many flowers," she changed the subject with a laugh when she turned to look at her basket. "Do you want some of them?"

"What would I do with them?" Caspian questioned.

"Give them to Susan, I'm sure she'll love them," Lucy responded. "I have more than enough here." She picked a couple of different flowers before holding them out to him. "Just don't tell her they're from me."

"I won't. Thank you, Queen Lucy." Caspian took the flowers from her before standing. "I think she's at the archery range. Why don't you come with me?"

"Ok." She grabbed her basket and stood, stretching a little bit before following him. _'Caspian is the only one who actually listens to me. I wish he was my brother.'_ Right as that thought crossed her mind she wished it hadn't. _'That's not true. I love my brothers a lot and I would never want them to be replaced or taken away from me.'_ She looked up and noticed that they had arrived at the archery range. She was too deep in thought to notice how fast they had arrived. Susan was practicing with a kentauride; her young centaur was sitting on the grass, watching his mother carefully.

"Magnificent shot, Su," Lucy called once Susan's arrow hit the bullseye of the target. "You're getting better, which I didn't think was possible."

"Thanks, Lu," Susan said with a smile as she looked at her younger sister. She turned to Caspian and her eyes widened when she saw the flowers that were in Caspian's hand. Lucy watched as Susan threw her arms around Caspian's shoulders in a hug before accepting the flowers. She turned and walked off, knowing that they wouldn't miss her. She decided to go back into the castle to finish up the painting that was in her room. _'It's not like anyone would notice I was gone.'_

* * *

_'I really hate this.' _Peter thought as he sat and listened to Princess Isabella ramble on about a king her friend had married. She had not once asked how his day had gone or anything about him for that matter. Peter reluctantly went along with their "lunch date" so he wouldn't upset Lord Auren. He should have known that he would end up paying the price for being so nice.

"So, what do you think? Should I wear my hair up or down?" Princess Isabella asked as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Peter looked at her, confused. "Pardon?"

She giggled as she reached out and lightly and playfully slapped his hand. "Silly, I was talking about my hair. Which would you prefer: up or down? I want your preference for the dance tonight."

Peter took a sip of his tea so he wouldn't have to respond. Susan had suggested to hold a ball that night to see how well Princess Isabella and Peter bonded in a date-like environment. He would also have to do through a speed-dating process. He wasn't looking forward to it that much but he knew, as a King and as an older brother, that he would have to grit his teeth and bare it. He turned his head so he was looking at the sundial. "Wow, we've been here twenty minutes."

She giggled again. "I know, time just flies by." Peter flashed a fake smile. He didn't realize he had said that out loud. To him twenty minutes felt like an eternity. "So, you're only eighteen? You look more mature, but it makes sense as to why you wouldn't drink any wine with me." She raised her glass.

"Almost eighteen," Peter corrected. "And I do have a drink every now and then, but I don't drink on Sundays," Peter said with a genuine smile.

She sipped her wine, and then seductively bit into an olive. "I'll drink any day of the week. It doesn't matter to me what day it is. Besides, didn't Jesus love wine?"

Peter was about to say something when he looked up to see Lucy standing over the table. "Hey Lu," he greeted her with a bright smile and a big hug. "What're you up to?"

"I was going to my room to finish my painting," she responded with a shrug. "Here, I made this." She pulled out what looked like a crown made out of flowers.

"Thanks, Lu, I love it," he said as he took it before hugging her again.

"Ah, Lu, we've been looking for you," Edmund said as he rushed into the Great Hall, followed closely by Crystal.

"Do you know where the seamstress is?" Crystal asked as she held her hand on her side. "Edmund ripped another hole in my dress." She paused. "Although I can't say that it's a bad thing," she muttered under her breath.

"She's in Susan's room, fixing the hem to one of her dresses," Peter told them as he gave Edmund a hard look who shrugged in reply. He turned his attention and noticed the sour look on Princess Isabella's face. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Edmund, this is Princess Isabella. Pr...Bella, this is my brother King Edmund."

Princess Isabella didn't do much to hide her annoyance. "We were in the middle of lunch, you know." Her voice was icy and she was glaring at the three of them. Lucy and Crystal had expressionless faces while Edmund looked at Peter in confusion.

"Sorry," Edmund apologized. "I saw Lucy and I thought she would know where the seamstress was."

"Well, you asked, so now you can keep going," Princess Isabella said in a suddenly sweet tone.

"Sorry," Edmund spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.

"Don't apologize Ed," Peter sighed. "This lunch is over anyway."

"We'll see you later," Lucy added before the three rushed off.

"What do you mean the lunch is over?" Princess Isabella asked in a somewhat confused tone.

"I'm sorry to leave early but I have to have a meeting with my brother to see if he found anything else out about the creatures that have been attacking," Peter told her as he held out his hand. She took it and stood before looking up at him. "I hope you enjoyed yourself, but I must go." He gently kissed her hand before turning to leave the room.

Princess Isabella kept the smile on her face until he left the room where it was replaced with a frown. She then stomped out of the room and went in search for her father. She found him in the library and stomped over to him. She dropped down in a chair and crossed her arms over her chest. She loudly cleared her throat, signaling that she was there.

"Yes?" Lord Auren asked once he lowered the book he was reading to give his daughter his full attention. "I sense that you aren't happy."

"I'm not!" Princess Isabella responded.

"What is the matter, dear?"

"Every time I try to get alone with King Peter one of his siblings interrupts us!" She responded. "How will I be able to marry him if I keep getting interrupted? And, to make matters worse, his stupid sister Susan set him up on this speed-dating thing during the ball tonight so I won't have a lot of time with him."

"Sweetie, you have the rest of the week to be with him," Lord Auren told him. He paused and a smile came to Princess Isabella's face.

"No…I have the rest of my life to be with him," she responded with an evil smile as Lord Auren looked at her in confusion.

* * *

"That is a beautiful dress, Susan," Lucy commented as Susan modeled her dress for Crystal and Lucy. She spun around a couple of times before looking at it in the mirror. The dress was lavender and stopped a couple of inches from the floor. Around her waist was a purple belt, the clasp was made of gold and had rubies on it. She had a matching purple choker with a gold heart in the middle, which also had diamonds on it. Heart shaped earrings were in her ears which completed the look.

"Are you sure? I was thinking of going with the teal one," she said in an uncertain tone as she looked at the other one that was draped over her chair.

"No, the purple one is perfect," Lucy told her. "Right, Crys? The purple one is better."

"Mhm," was all Crystal replied as she gave the dress a once over.

"Is something wrong?"

"You know this isn't my thing, so why am I here?" She asked. Susan and Lucy exchanged nervous glances, which made Crystal nervous. "What?"

"Well…you do know that you have to come to this dance too," Susan started. Crystal nodded. "You're going to have to dance and you're going to have to have a date."

"Tell me you're kidding."

"We're not," Lucy responded. "We knew you wouldn't want to go along with this," she quickly added when she saw the look on Crystal's face. "So we thought it would be easier on your part to just go with Edmund."

"Do I have any say in this?"

"No." Lucy studied her face. "If it's any consolation Edmund's not that happy about it either."

"You really know how to cheer me up, Lu," Crystal said sarcastically as she lightly hit Lucy with one of Susan's large pillows.

* * *

"Will you stop complaining all ready? Whining isn't going to make this night go any faster," Peter commented as he brushed his hair as he stood in front of his mirror.

"Why didn't I get any say in this?" Edmund asked from his position on Peter's bed. He was rested his back on it and was staring up at the ceiling.

"Even if you did have a say in it you'd be complaining like you are now," Peter pointed out as he turned away from the mirror and walked to the side of the bed so he was looking down at his younger brother.

"Yes, but it would have been better if you actually talked to me about it first."

"It's just a dance. You've been to these before," Peter said as he held the brush out to Edmund. He grumbled before taking it and getting to his feet to stand in front of the mirror. "I know I shouldn't have to say this, but I will anyway: I don't want you causing any trouble, especially tonight. Susan and I are also trying to find a way to convince the Narnians and the Telmarines to be able to work together in harmony instead of being hostile towards each other and I don't want to hear about you doing something to besmirch all that we have built up by some stupid prank of yours."

"Man, you light a tree on fire once, _on accident_, and no one will let you forget it," Edmund commented as he continued to brush his hair.

"Edmund." Peter said his name in a warning tone.

"What if it's someone I don't like?" Edmund asked as he looked at his brother's reflection.

"Even if it is someone you don't like, just be polite and then move on. Don't do anything to ruin this night. OK?"

"OK, OK, I promise," Edmund said as he put his brush down before looking out the window. They both turned their attention to the door when they heard a knock. "Come in!" He called before a servant came in.

"Your Highnesses, the ball is about to start," the servant said as she pushed the loose strands of her hair behind her ears. "We're all waiting for you."

"Time for your dates," Edmund chirped; he was suddenly happier than he was before. He picked up his crown which was sitting on the table next to Peter's and placed it on his head in a way that he knew it wouldn't fall off. "I've been thinking, who did Lucy get to go as her date," he asked as he and Peter walked out of his room to meet up with everyone else in the room outside of the Great Hall.

"I don't know. I've been meaning to ask her but I never got a chance, I was too busy," Peter admitted. The two boys walked the rest of the way in silence, only stopping if a servant or an assistant had a question. Finally they made it to the foyer of the Great Hall where they waited patiently.

"Peter, Edmund, you two look amazing," Lucy commented once she set foot in the foyer. Peter raised his eyebrows when he noticed that her arm was hooked with a young boy who had striking bright green eyes.

"Thank you, Lu," Peter said as he kept his eyes on the young boy. "And who is this?"

"This is James, my escort," she responded as he gave a gracious bow. Peter was about to comment when Princess Isabella latched herself onto his arm and smiled brightly at him.

"You look handsome," she said with a bright smile.

"Thank you, you look beautiful tonight." Edmund snickered when he noticed the tone in Peter's voice. He immediately stopped laughing when he caught sight of Crystal who came into the room with Susan and Caspian.

"Let's get this over with," Crystal sighed.

* * *

**This chapter was so long I had to split it into two parts. My fingers hurt, lol. And, if you also read my Bittersweet Secret story, then I will update that soon too. Please leave a review!**


	6. A Valiant Proposal Part 2

**Chapter 6: A Valiant Proposal Part 2**

"You look very beautiful," Caspian whispered to Susan as he escorted her down the mini flight of stairs that held her throne along with her siblings' thrones.

"Thank you, you look very handsome," she responded as she shifted her left hand from his palm to his right shoulder. He lifted her right hand in his left and stared into each other's eyes as they waited for the song to start. Susan felt like she could get lost in his dark eyes, they held mysteriousness as long as sensitivity. Her eyes scanned over his exotic features and she found herself wanting to run her fingers through his hair as he held her. The music started, pulling her back into reality, but she easily slipped into her own world as Caspian easily led her through the steps. Everything around her became a blur as she focused on Caspian and the sweet music that filled their world. No one else was there to them; it was just Susan and Caspian. Caspian and Susan, gliding around the room as they stared into each other's eyes as they held each other in gentle yet firm embraces. Their reality was shattered by a sharp intake of breath and Edmund's cry of pain.

"I don't think they are doing too well," Caspian commented as he looked over at Edmund who was wincing.

"Stop stepping on my _feet_!" He said through clenched teeth as he changed the grip that he had on her hand so he could allow her to spin out before bringing her back to him.

"I'd stop stepping on your feet if you'd actually _lead_ right!" Crystal responded, also through clenched teeth, once she faced him again.

"I'm leading just _fine_!"

"You could do _better_!"

Susan chuckled as she tried to turn her attention back to Caspian but the constant arguing between Edmund and Crystal. She kept a smile on her face as Caspian lead her through that dance. Once the song finished she curtsied to the audience as they applauded.

"Thank you for coming." Peter's voice rang through the castle as the Narnians and the Telmarines listened intently. "As you all should know by now there are creatures that are attacking castles throughout Narnia. I have no knowledge of where they came from but rest assure that we will stop them. And besides, we have gathered here to have fun and to welcome Princess Isabella and her father, Lord Auren, who will be staying here for the time being." Princess Isabella curtsied when eyes turned to her. She smiled and gave a queen like wave as she smiled graciously at the audience. Lucy noticed that some of the Narnians were whispering to each other and were giving Princess Isabella snide glances. A smile formed at the corner of her mouth but she kept her lips together. "The castle is heavily guarded and there are many places to go if we get attacked, but do not worry about that. Please, eat, enjoy each other's company, and enjoy your time at Cair Paravel."

Cheery, up-tempo music started to play and all at once voices filled the Great Hall as chairs were either scooted back for people to get on the dance floor or scooted in when men where making sure their women were seated at the table. The sounds of clopping hooves filled the air as some fauns moved in time with the beat to the song that was being played by the ensemble.

"Would you like to dance again?" Caspian asked Susan.

"Of course," she responded with a bright smile as he led her back to the dance floor. James escorted Lucy off of the dance floor and over to their table. He waited for her to sit down before pushing her chair in and taking his seat next to her.

"I really like your dress," he said shyly as he placed his napkin on his lap.

"Thank you," Lucy said with a small smile as she also pulled her napkin onto her lap before reaching for her goblet. She took a sip of the grape flavored drink before putting it back down on the table. "You are a really good dancer."

"Thank you," he said as he blushed a little. "My older sister taught me, actually. She's a really great dancer. She dances in her free time, well, when she's not trying to be courted by men."

Lucy noticed a tone of loss that was in his voice. She turned to look him in the eye when she asked, "Well, she has to be courted, right?"

"Yes, but now we don't talk anymore. And we don't do anything together anymore," he responded as he let out a small sigh. "If she's not getting lessons then she's being courted by many suitors, trying to see if she'll pick one of them to marry her. I like how she is getting a lot of attention from men and I hope she picks one that will make her happy, like she makes me happy, but since she came of age we don't spend much time together anymore and I miss it."

Lucy stayed silent as she turned her attention to Caspian and Susan who were dancing. Caspian held Susan at arms length and was spinning her around. Susan was laughing as she continued twirling, which caused her lavender dress to lift at the bottom slightly and to flow out.

'_First Aslan is gone and now Susan has Caspian. Soon she will try to be courted by other men here. Peter will try to court a girl, and same with Edmund…if he ever finds a girl that likes his…differences. And then they won't be able to spend any time with me.' _Lucy was brought out of her thoughts when James put a hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he said as he peered at her face.

"I was just thinking," Lucy told him. "About how my siblings will end up being courted or try to court someone and how I won't have much time to spend with them. Which only made me realize how much I love them." Lucy paused. "Not that I didn't know it before," she hastily added.

"I know what you meant," James said with a small laugh. He looked around the room for a couple of seconds before looking at Lucy again. "It's weird, being the youngest ones in here. Do you want to walk around outside for a little bit?"

"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Lucy responded eagerly as she stood. James held out his arm for her and she laughed a little before the two raced out of the Great Hall, making sure not to run into anyone on their way out. A couple of the kentaurides and female fauns whispered to each other and pointed to Lucy and James as they raced out.

"Queen Lucy looks happier than before."

"Aren't those two cute together?"

"Queen Lucy has found a good man."

Peter watched his youngest sister leave the room before he quickly turned his attention back to the Princess he was currently dancing with, Princess Rosalina. She had raven black hair and natural dark skin. Her lips were red from lipstick and her lashes were full. Peter thought that she was from the Telmarine race but was surprised to find that she wasn't, because he thought that their features were the same.

He sighed of relief when the song was over and switched to a low-tempo one. He had danced four songs straight, each with a different girl hoping he'd court her, which made him tired from dancing so much. He excused himself before making his way to his table. He stopped and politely chatted with a couple of fauns who asked him about the new threat situation but he assured them that everything was taken care of.

"Having fun?" Edmund asked once Peter sat down at the table.

"I'd have more fun if Princess Isabella wasn't glaring at the other Princesses from across the room," Peter admitted.

"Apparently you're the only one she wants to marry," Edmund told him before reaching for his goblet. "She won't give any others a chance to even dance with her." He chuckled. "How in the world did you get so lucky?" He asked with amusement dripping from his words.

"Ed, I'm not in the mood for your jokes right now," Peter sighed.

"Too much on your plate?"

"Yes. Isabella being here takes time away from my studies since I have to entertain her the entire time she's here. King Elvrond from Rayuvial wants me to go to his castle to try and help him find a way to defeat these new creatures. Susan is getting too close to Caspian for my liking, Lucy is mad at me for an unknown reasons, and to top it all off, you're enjoying my misfortune." He paused and looked around. "Where's Crystal, by the way?"

"Over there," Edmund responded as he motioned across the room. Peter followed his gaze and saw her talking to some of the kentaurides. She looked out of place but she also seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about you two arguing for a while," Peter sighed before picking up his fork and knife. "Which is funny, because you two are arguing more than usual." He locked eyes with Edmund who had a suspicious look on his face.

"What're you getting at?" Edmund demanded.

"Nothing," Peter responded with a big smile, knowing that he was rattling Edmund's nerves.

* * *

"Lucy, look!" James called as he pointed at the sand. Lucy squinted in the semi darkness and saw that he was pointing at the sand where a pink shell was partially uncovered. They rushed over to it and pushed away some of the wet, compacted sand before pulling it out.

"This is a great one," Lucy said as she held it up so it reflected off of the rising moon. The silver moonlight cast a silver lining on the shell. James took it from her hand and added it to their collection. He had lifted the bottom of his shirt to create a type of pocket to hold their shells in. In his other hand he was carrying her shoes and his own so they left a trail in the sand. "Oh look, a starfish."

"Let's put it back in the water," James suggested as he let go of his shirt so the shells landed on the ground in a pile. "It will die if we leave it here." Lucy agreed before gently picking up the starfish. They walked to the edge of the beach where the ocean waves broke. They went in until the water was close to their knees before Lucy released the starfish. Lucy looked up when she heard a splash and smiled when she saw a mermaid leap out of the water, flip, and land back in it. "Wow! A mermaid."

"You've never seen them before?" Lucy asked in amazement.

"We don't live near the beach, we live in the woods," James told her as he kept his eyes fixated on the merpeople that were taking turns performing tricks for them.

"Some people say that mermaids are signs of unlucky omens," Lucy told him as he raised his eyebrows. "They can act like sirens, especially to men. They would sing as men sail by they would become entranced and then they would crash their boat. Some may squeeze the life out of people when really they're trying to save them. But these mermaids, they're actually really nice. And they can help cure you."

"Cool," James whispered. Lucy's head whipped around as she looked back towards the large castle. "Is something wrong?" James asked.

"I thought…I thought I heard Aslan," she muttered as her eyes still scanned the shoreline. "I don't know why he left so suddenly or why he didn't tell us where he was going."

"He's Aslan, he doesn't need to tell anyone where he's going or what he's doing," James told her as he tore his eyes away from the merpeople to look at her. "Queen Lucy…do you think…you rely on Aslan a little too much?"

"What?" Lucy asked as she raised her eyebrows. "No, I don't. Aslan's my friend and I'm worried."

"My Queen, Aslan can do many wondrous things that you don't know about. He has more power than any other creature here in Narnia. He can take care of himself. And…you're going to have to stop relying on him and start relying on yourself." Lucy opened her mouth but James silenced her by raising his hand. "Please don't be mad at me, my Queen, I'm just stating a fact. I know, if you start relying on yourself more than relying on Aslan, that you will be able to do anything you set your mind to."

"So I can fight?" Lucy asked. James looked at her in confusion. "I hate sitting around and wondering what's going on while Peter, Susan, and Edmund are out fighting. All I do is heal people, I want to do more than that. But Peter won't let me and won't teach me."

"So get someone else to teach you," James told her. Lucy nodded as she turned out to look at the silvery ocean, deep in thought. James reached down and cupped his hands in the water. He quickly brought them up, splashing Lucy. He laughed at the amused and shocked look that was on her face. "Gotcha!" He chirped as he laughed.

"I'm going to get you back!" Lucy laughed as she kicked, splashing him. She turned and started to run away from him as he chased after her.

Their laughter floated into the air and made its way to Susan's ears. She was sitting on a bench and looking out at the ocean. She looked down and smiled when she saw Lucy and James splashing water at each other and laughing hysterically.

"Is something troubling you, Queen Susan?" Caspian asked as he sat down next to her. She tore her attention from her little sister and looked over at the ruler.

"I was talking to some of the kentaurides, the Narnians and the Telmarines aren't getting along at all," she blurted out. "The Narnians won't forget what the Telmarines have done to them. There has to be a way to get them to at least at civil towards each other."

"The only thing I can think of is if the Narnians and Telmarines were joined together in some sort of ceremony," Caspian told her.

"You mean…like a wedding?" Susan questioned.

"Exactly," Caspian replied before kissing her lightly.

"Wait…I think–" Susan started but Caspian interrupted her.

"Milday…I would like for you to marry me."

* * *

"What're you so out of breath for?" Edmund asked when Crystal appeared by his side as he scanned the dance floor. It was late into the night but the festivities were still going. The young attendees were playing tag near the throne; their laughter rang throughout the Great Hall.

"Prince Radwan…won't leave me alone," she finally got out as she took in deep breaths of air to clam her racing heart. "He's driving me insane. I want to…"

"Give him a good swift kick to the rear for a lack of better words?" Edmund guessed with a grin.

"You _love_ other people's misfortune, don't you?" Crystal asked as she glared at him.

"Only because it makes my life more interesting," he responded. She laughed a little before turning her attention to Peter who was dancing with Princess Isabella again. The expression on her face made it seem like she was on cloud nine, whereas Peter seemed distracted. "And this whole ball thing in general really made my life interesting."

"Geeze, he's coming back!" Crystal suddenly hissed as she grabbed his arm, her fingernails digging into his skin. Edmund scanned the room before he found the dark haired prince walking around, pausing from time to time to scan the room before walking again.. "What do I do? He treats me like a–"

"Girl?" Edmund interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"You better sleep with one eye open tonight."

"He's coming," Edmund pointed out.

"Man!" Crystal hissed through clenched teeth. "Peter! Dance with me!" She practically shouted as he and Princess Isabella came into view. She shoved him backwards so he was back peddling onto the dance floor as Princess Isabella crossed her arms and glared.

She brushed past Edmund and stomped her way out of the Great Hall. She made her way down the corridors before stepping into the Green House area. She waited patiently before her two friends, Princess Amelia and Princess Evlyn, to come into the room.

"What's wrong, Isa?" Princess Amelia asked her. "What'd you drag us away for?"

"That…Ruby girl is moving in on my King, that's what," Princess Isabella responded as she slapped her palm against the glass window.

"So do something about it," Princess Evlyn told her. "Use your–"

"You _know_ I'm forbidden to use that," Princess Isabella hissed through clenched teeth. "I need you two to do something for me."

"It depends, will it get us in trouble if we're caught?" Princess Evlyn asked.

"Possibly."

"We're in."


	7. The Kingdom of Rayuvial Part 1

**Chapter 7: The Kingdom of Rayuvial Part 1**

"We should be heading back now," James said as he glanced over at Lucy. The two were lying down on the beach, panting slightly from running around and playing tag. The moon was full and high in the air, casting everything in a silvery glow. "King Peter is probably getting worried."

"Peter's always worried," Lucy said as she let out a breath even though she sat up. She made a face as she reached her arm behind her back to try and get the sand off. James leaned over and brushed it off with both hands before standing and dusting off the seat of his pants. He held out his hands to her and helped pull her to her feet. "But we should go back," she agreed. "The ball should be almost over by now."

She brushed sand off of the back of her dress before taking James's outstretched hand and they walked up the beach. The Great Hall wasn't as filled as it was hours before but there were still a lot of people there.

"Lucy, where have you been?" Peter demanded once she entered his line of vision. He was standing by the staircase, chatting to some guests before they left to go back to their own homes.

"On the beach with James," she responded as she motioned to him. He held out her shoes and she accepted them with a smile.

"You should have told one of us where you were going," he continued as his eyes flickered over in James's direction for a split second. James flinched under Peter's intense gaze.

"It's the beach, someone surely would have seen us and came to aid in case something happened," Lucy tried to reason with him.

"Still, I would like it if you were with one of us whenever you are going somewhere, even if it is just to the beach," Peter told her. "I don't want you to be alone, especially with those beasts on the loose. I want you to have an escort while you're here."

"But Peter–" Lucy started. Peter held up his hand, silencing her immediately. She knew the look that was on his face, it was the look he had whenever his mind was made up. And when Peter's mind was made up it was really hard, if not impossible to change it back. "Yes Peter," she muttered as she averted her gaze.

"I want you to know that I'm only doing this out of love," Peter told her as he pulled her to her so he was hugging her against his chest. He kept a hand on her head, lightly stroking her hair affectionately, as he held her with the other. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you and I don't want to take that chance. I'm not trying to punish you."

"I know." Lucy's voice came out muffled since her face was pressed against Peter's body. She let out a small sigh as she turned her hands into small fists. She could feel James's gaze on her but ignored it as she hugged her oldest brother.

"Your Highness," James spoke up. "I didn't mean to keep her out if it was going to worry you this much." He hung his head in shame. "I will take any punishment you feel that I deserve."

"You deserve no punishment," Edmund commented suddenly appearing by Peter, which caused them all to jump. "Sorry to scare you and sorry for listening in, but James, you don't deserve any form of punishment. Just make sure it doesn't happen again, you don't want Peter to blow a blood vessel."

"Thank, Your Highness," James said with a bow. He glanced around before locking his eyes on his parents who were motioning for him to come over. "Looks like I have to go. Write me, ok?"

"Ok," Lucy said before giving him a hug. "Bye James, have a safe journey." She waved to him as he rushed off. He waved over his shoulder before joining his parents. "I don't know about you two, but I am tuckered. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight Pete." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Ed." She also kissed his cheek before, smiling, going back inside the castle.

"I don't like James," Peter declared once Lucy was out of earshot.

"That's not surprising," Edmund said with a snort. "You didn't like Caspian that much when you first met him. Was it because he tried to call all of the shots or was it because he was interested in Susan?"

Peter made a scoffing noise before changing the subject. "Did you find anything else about the new Beasts?" He kept his voice at a whisper to make sure he didn't alarm anyone else in case they overhead him.

"Only that there seems to be two different types," Edmund responded as he rubbed the back of his neck. "The ones we fought, which were wolves, and the ones that I heard the guards talking about, which were humans. Well, they _think_ were humans. I don't know if anyone else has seen them."

"King Elvrond the Noble," Peter told him. "From the Kingdom of Rayuvial. They call themselves the Shadow Knights. The Kingdom of Rayuvial has been attacked by these creatures and King Elvrond believes that, together, we can stop them. They're the only other Kingdom that has seen these creatures."

"So what are you planning on doing?" Edmund asked.

"You and I will ride over there and try to get as much information as we can before bringing the Rayuvians back here for protection," Peter responded as the two started inside. "I believe, once we find out everything we can from them, we will be able to piece together information of the beasts and we'll be able to stop them once and for all."

"And if we fail?" Edmund asked, causing Peter to stop dead in his tracks.

"Failure is not an option," Peter said in a stern tone as he locked eyes with Edmund's dark ones. "I got this map," he patted the map that hung off of his belt, "From one of the guards. The ride to Rayuvial will take one and a half days, two tops. We have to get there and come back as quick as possible. No one should know that we are gone, I don't want them panicking and thinking that something is wrong."

"We're going by ourselves?" Edmund asked as he followed Peter. "I was thinking Susan could come with us, or Caspian."

"It's faster if we go by ourselves," Peter told him. "Besides, I need Caspian here and Susan has no place in this."

"So she had a place in every other war we fought in because this is more complicated and there's a better chance we'll die?" Edmund asked sarcastically. "Pete, if Su can handle war, she can handle riding a horse."

"She needs to stay and look after Lu," Peter told him.

"What if we get attacked on the way there? We're going to need Lucy's cordial," Edmund pointed out.

"_Later_, Ed." Peter cut the conversation short when a centaur hesitantly walked over to them. "What's wrong?" He asked once he took a look at the centaurs face.

"As I ushered everyone out, on Sir Edmund's orders, I overheard something," the centaur responded.

"What was it that you overheard?"

"Princess Isabella and Lady Crystal fighting, Your Highness," the centaur responded. "I tried to get them to stop, but they wouldn't have it. I don't even know what it is that they are arguing about."

"I'll find out, thank you for telling me," Peter said before the two exchanged bows. "Get some rest," he added with a smile. The centaur bowed graciously before leaving the Great Hall, his hooves clopping against the ground.

"And if my opinion counts at all, Your Highness," the centaur added as he turned around before he left the room, "If Lady Crystal is as good at sword fighting as she is with her words, then you would have a good warrior on your hands."

"Just what I need right now," Peter muttered as he let out a breath.

"Let me handle this. You need some sleep," Edmund told him. "I'll get a servant to bring you some tea, ok?"

"I would love that, thank you Ed," Peter said as he lightly patted his brother on the arm. Edmund nodded and smiled a little before following the hostile voices that had carried out into the hallway. Peter let out a long breath when the feeling of exhaustion suddenly hit him. He could feel his eyelids trying to slide shut but he fought against it as he made his way up the stairs and down the hall that held their bedrooms. He stopped to do his nightly sibling check up before bed. "What're you still doing up?" Peter asked when he spotted Lucy sitting ontop of her bed, flipping the pages in a book.

"Reading," she responded. "There are a lot of interesting books in the library here." She looked up and peered at his face. "You should get some sleep, you look really tired."

"I had to check on your first," he told her.

"Had to?" Lucy questioned with raised eyebrows. "You don't have to check on me."

"I know, but I like to," he responded, taken slightly aback. He didn't like the tone that Lucy was using but was too tired to do anything about it. He quickly mumbled a goodnight before leaving the room and going over to Susan's room. When he entered he saw her standing in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. She smiled at his reflection as he stepped into the room. "You're really happy. Should I be worried?"

"Not at all, Peter," Susan responded as she put her brush down and turned to face him. "I had a lot of fun tonight, that's why I'm so happy." Peter noticed that she had a slight bounce in her step as she went over to her bed and sat down on it. "But I should be asking about your night? Did you meet anyone special?"

"Unfortunately, no," Peter responded as he sat down next to her. "Why is it so hard for me to find someone to be my High Queen?"

"Because you're picky," Susan responded. "Not everyone's perfect you know, we have to have some flaws. Tell me, what is it that you're looking for in a High Queen?"

"Let's see," Peter said as he let out a breath. "She has to be kind, fair, creative, unique, will listen to both sides of a problem, will speak her mind." He glanced over at Susan who giggled behind her palm. "What? What is so funny?"

"You just described Crystal," she responded.

"What? No I didn't," Peter said as he shook his head. "That's nothing like her. She's…she's loud, and pushy, and bossy, and she doesn't know how to act like a lady at all."

"But that's what makes her her and that's what makes her unique," Susan told him. Her smile got a little bit bigger when a twinkle formed in her eye.

"Don't even think about it," Peter said in a warning tone as he stood. "Whatever you're thinking, it wouldn't work. And besides, I want to see if I can work things out with Bella."

"She's…kind of high maintenance don't you think?" Susan asked as she crinkled her nose. "And she gossips. You told me yourself that you didn't like that about her."

"Well, maybe she's insecure," Peter said in an uncertain tone as he shrugged. "Anyway, it's getting late and I have something important to tell you."

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Susan asked in alarm.

"Everything's fine Su," Peter told her. "Well, I hope everything is fine. Anyway, I got a letter yesterday from King Elvrond, the ruler of the Kingdom of Rayuvial. His Kingdom has been attacked by the beasts and he needs our help. So, Edmund and I are going to ride over there and bring the King and, what's left of his Kingdom, back here so we can find out what to do with these beasts. The ride will take about two days, there and back."

"So you'll be gone for four days?" Susan questioned. "What're the rest of us supposed to do, assuming that you and Edmund are the only ones going?"

"You assumed right. I really need you to stay here and look after Lu. I would have brought Caspian with us but I need him to stay here and look after everyone else incase we get attacked while I'm gone."

"And Crystal?"

"She needs to stay too. I really wouldn't want her coming with us since she doesn't really know any fighting."

"Have you met her?" Susan asked with raised eyebrows.

"She hasn't had the proper amount of time to spar and she doesn't know how to protect herself from any other weapon that someone else might have," Peter said in an impatient tone. "Please Su, just do this for me. I'll get back as soon as I can. While I'm gone, you and Caspian are in charge of everything."

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll do my best," Susan told him. Peter grasped her face and kissed her forehead.

"That's all I ask," he said before he got up and left the room. Edmund met him in the hallway as Peter closed the door to Lucy's room. "What happened?" Peter asked.

"Apparently Princess Isabella got her two friends, Princess Evlyn and Princess Amelia, to spill rip her dress."

"And that was one of Lucy's," Peter said as he ran a hand through his hair. "Are you sure that Princess Isabella told her friends to do that?"

"I'm positive. I overheard her talking to her friends in the Greenhouse when I went to use the facilities. I didn't understand it then so I didn't mention anything to you," Edmund told him. "And you want to marry this girl?"

"I never said anything about marrying her," Peter said as he shook his head.

"But you're thinking about it."

"I have other options, but that's not what matters right now. I'll let Caspian deal with this. We need to pack and get some sleep before we leave."

"A servant packed for us all ready and drew our bath," Edmund told him. "When should I expect to leave?"

"As soon as the sun rises," Peter responded.


	8. The Kingdom of Rayuvial Part 2

**Chapter 8: The Kingdom of Rayuvial Part 2**

Peter jerked awake when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He blinked his eyes rapidly as he waited for them to adjust before looking up to see Edmund standing over him. Peter looked around in conclusion and found that he had fallen asleep at his desk again.

"What time is it?" Peter asked sleepily as he rubbed his red-rimmed eyes with the heels of his hands.

"Sunrise," Edmund responded as he peered at his brother. "How long were you up? You look as if you haven't gotten any sleep."

"I didn't really," he said with a yawn as he pushed himself to his feet. He staggered a little and Edmund grabbed his arm to steady him. "Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Edmund responded. "Our horses are ready to leave as soon as you want to go. Do you need to do anything first?"

"No. Let's go."

The two left Peter's room as quickly as they could. Edmund was moving fast so he could leave and get a breath of fresh air. Peter was leaving as fast as he could so he wouldn't be stopped by Isabella. Judging by how urgent King Elvrond's letter was he knew they had to leave as soon as possible or risk the kingdom getting attacked again.

"Hey Phineas," Edmund greeted his brown horse. "Are you ready to go for a ride?"

"Yes, Sir," Phineas responded. "Wherever you need to go."

"Do you happen to know where the kingdom of Rayuvial is?" Peter asked him as he paused in the middle of securing his things to his unicorn, Ashen. He noticed that she was moving impatiently so he gently rubbed her side and muttered into her ear.

"I do," Phineas admitted.

"It's about a two days ride from here. One and a half depending on what path you take," Ashen added as Peter turned his attention to her.

"We need to get there," Peter hoisted himself up on Ashen, "As fast as possible. The fastest route would obviously be the best choice."

"But Sire, what about Cair Paravel?" Phineas asked as he turned so his dark eyes locked with Peter's light ones.

"It' will be taken care of while we are gone," Peter said with a reassuring smile, hoping it would ease Phineas's apprehension.

"Phillip, lead the way," Edmund said as he climbed up and settled down on Phineas's back. Phineas waited for Edmund to be settled before taking off, Peter following close on his heels. The thunder sound of hooves reached Peter's ears as he rocked on Ashen's back.

"Are you all right, Ashen?" Peter asked as he leaned forward slightly. "Nothing's too heavy for you?"

"I may be female but I am as strong as any male horse around here," she said with a flicker of determination formed in her eye. Peter chuckled before reaching forward and sliding her mane through his fingers, admiring how soft her mane was.

"Peter!" A voice rang out. Ashen stopped without having Peter to grab the reigns. Phineas stopped too as Edmund looked around with a confused look on his face.

"Who's calling you?" Edmund asked.

"Peter!" The voice repeated, a little bit louder than before. It seemed to have them surrounded.

"Don't tell me," Edmund sighed, even though a smirk was forming on his face.

"Peter, wait!" Peter and Edmund both looked behind themselves and saw Princess Isabella riding up on a solid black horse. Peter let out a breath through his nose but kept his face void of emotion, even though he really wanted to scold her for stopping them when they really needed to leave. "I'm glad I caught you," she said with a bright smile even though she was slightly out of breath.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I really need to get going," Peter told her in a firm tone.

"I wanted to see you before you left," she said as her eyes widened slightly as she tried to get a look of innocence on her face. "I mean, what if you never came back? I don't want our last moment together to be when you were mad at me."

"I'm going to come back." Peter didn't know whether to feel annoyed that Princess Isabella stopped her or to feel drawn to her for caring about his well being. "I promise," he added when the hurt look on Princess Isabella's face didn't change.

"Just to make sure," she said with a coy smile as she guided her horse to stand next to his. He looked at her in confusion but his eyes widened when she suddenly grabbed him around the neck and brought his lips to hers in a needy kiss. Edmund's face went from amused, to shocked, to amused, to disgusted, back to amused in a matter of seconds as Ashen and Phineas shifted nervously. Once Princess Isabella released Peter his face resembled million different shades of red. "Please come back soon."

"Let's get going," Edmund said with a chuckle as he flicked his reigns so Phineas would start forward again. Peter nodded and, without a word, urged Ashen forward. Princess Isabella smiled to herself before turning her horse around and going back towards Cair Paravel.

She led her horse back into the pen, the smile never leaving her face. She happily made her way up the stairs and into the castle, greeting everyone she passed with a wave and a curtsy. She had to get ready for when she was crowned High Queen of Narnia, which she felt would be any day now. She didn't care that he still had to meet other Princesses and Countesses; she knew that she had a better chance than the rest of them.

"Oh, I'm sorry Queen Susan," she apologized when she noticed that she had almost run into the Queen in her haste to get to her room. "I didn't see you coming."

"It's quite all right, Isabella," Susan said as she lightly brushed off her dress. Isabella raised her eyebrows as she looked Susan over. She knew that Susan had to look her best while she was at the castle but this was above and beyond. She was wearing a forest green dress with light green accents to it. Her hair was behind her in a bun but some strands of hair fell in front of her ears and lightly touched her shoulders. A necklace, that was adorned with rubies and diamonds, which was in the shape of a heart, rested on her collarbone.

"You look amazing, Queen Susan," Isabella gushed as she placed a hand over her heart. "Is there any special reason?" She questioned.

"I just wanted to try something…different," Susan said with a coy smile. "Where were you headed off to?"

"I was going to see how Father is doing," Isabella responded. "Do you happen to know where he is?"

"I think I saw him in the Library," Susan responded. "You could ask a servant to escort you there, if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary, but thank you for the offer," Isabella said with a smile and a little curtsy before walking off. Once she had her back turned to Susan her smile slipped from her face and a scowl replaced it. She made her way to the library as fast as she could. She forced the doors open and it hit the opposite walls with a loud _bang_, causing her father to jump at the noise.

"What's the matter, darling?" Lord Auren asked once he saw the look on his daughter's face.

"Peter's siblings are getting on my last nerve," she responded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "They're always around and always want to know my business and they never leave me alone, especially that Lucy girl."

"But, sweetie, you knew that trying to get close to High King Peter would have a price," her father said slowly.

"I know, and I'm suffering for it but I don't know how much longer I can handle it," she admitted. "And that Ruby girl," she added with a growl. "She's always with them, always. When they're riding, reading, relaxing outside, or playing chess. She's always there."

"Well, I heard from a couple of people that she is trying to become their bodyguard," her father said slowly as Isabella's eyes widened. "She's not like any normal lady."

"That's because she's _not_ normal," Isabella responded. "She doesn't act like a lady at all." She huffed as she pouted slightly. "I need someone to get her out of the way. Daddy, do you know anyone?"

"I'm afraid I don't, sweetie," he responded.

"There was that Radwan guy at the ball," Isabella said more to herself than to her father. "He seemed to have his eye on her. I'm sure he'll work perfectly. Father, I need you to write a letter, post haste telling Radwan that a certain lady would like to see him."

"Sweetie, I don't think," her father started.

"Father, do you _not_ want this?" Isabella questioned. "Do you _not_ want to live like this for the ret of your life?"

"I'm sorry, I'll get right to it," he responded, flinching slightly when her slightly softened glare landed on him. "In the mean time try and be friends with them."

"But that might take forever," Isabella whined. "Fine," she sighed when her father stood her ground. "I'll play along, for now."

* * *

"Where are they?" Lucy asked herself as she held up the front of her dress so she could move quickly down the hallway. She was searching for her brothers and so far hadn't found them in their rooms, sparring on the lawns, in the library, or in the conference room. "Oh, Isabella," Lucy greeted her happily as Isabella stepped into the hallway. "Have you seen either Peter or Edmund?"

"They never told you?" Isabella asked in surprise as her eyebrows rose.

"Tell me what?" Lucy asked as her smile faltered a little.

"Peter received a letter from King Elvrond the Noble asking him for Peter's help. He and Edmund went to the kingdom to try and find out more about the Beasts and to bring the King back with them. I thought they told you."

"They never said a word to me," Lucy said softly.

"Well, I'm sure they had a good reason not to tell you about this," Isabella told her. "They probably don't want you to worry about them."

"But they _always_ tell me where they're going."

"They didn't have time this time," Isabella explained. "The letter was urgent."

"Then how do you know about this?' Lucy asked as she locked eyes with Isabella.

"Peter told me before he left," she explained. "I would've told you if I had known that you didn't know."

"That's all right," Lucy said with a sigh. "Thanks for telling me now, at least."

"My pleasure," Isabella said through a smile. "Where are you off to?"

"I was going to ask Peter if he wanted to take a walk with me," Lucy admitted. "But now that I know he's not here I'm going to see if Crystal will go with me." She paused before quickly adding, "Do you want to come?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm busy," she responded before continuing her way down the hall.

Lucy shrugged before picking up the front of her dress and walking down the halls. She paused to ask servants about Crystal's whereabouts and was directed outside to the sparring grounds. She stood at the top of the stairs, watching in awe how skillfully Caspian was moving his blade as he sparred against a centaur. She went down the stairs and sat next to her sister, who was watching intently. Crystal was sitting on her other side, twisting her necklace around in her fingers as she stared at it.

"What're you doing?" Lucy asked as she leaned forward to look at Crystal.

"This necklace brought us here to Narnia somehow," Crystal responded. "I'm trying to figure out how a necklace was capable of bringing us here and why it never did anything before. It doesn't make sense."

"Aslan probably could have explained it," Lucy said with a sigh.

"Lucy," Susan started, finally breaking her gaze that was locked on Caspian as he continued fighting, the sounds of clashing swords filled the air every now and then. "Aslan can't stay and help with only our troubles. He's the greatest creature known to Narnia."

"I _know_ that, but he must know _why_ we were able to come back," Lucy pointed out. "Especially you and Peter, you shouldn't have been able to come back. He probably also knows why the new Beasts are here, what they want, and how we can stop them."

"But if he did then they'd be defeated by now," Susan pointed out. "Lucy, you can't always rely on Aslan."

"I _know_ that, Su. But there has to be something we can do, something we can figure out. We can't just sit here and do nothing while we're waiting for Peter and Edmund to come back," Lucy told her.

"Wait, they left?" Crystal asked, looking up from her necklace. "When'd they leave?"

"This morning," Lucy said in a dismissive tone. "Su, we have to do _something_ to help."

"Peter gave me specific orders that you weren't to get into any danger," Susan told her.

"You never let me do _anything_!" Lucy declared before jumping to her feet and rushing back up the stairs and back into the castle.

"I didn't mean to upset her," Susan muttered. "I better go talk to her," she said with a sigh as she gathered her dress in her hands and stood to go back into the castle.

"I'll go talk to her," Crystal told her. "You stay and talk to Caspian; I know that's why you came out dressed like that in the first place. You succeeded in getting his attention." With a smile, she turned and rushed into the castle.

Susan turned around when she noticed that the sound of metal hitting metal stopped and birds chirping filled the air. She smiled a little when Caspian set his dark eyes on her as red spots formed on her cheeks.

"Would you like to take a walk with me, My Queen?" Caspian asked as he held out his hand. Susan giggled to herself as she placed her hand in his.

"I'd be delighted."


	9. Shedding Some Light

**Chapter 9: Shedding Some Light**

The smile never left Susan's face as Caspian lead her around the grounds, even though she knew them so well. She felt so safe and secure whenever she was with Caspian, she didn't even worry about the new Beasts that were posing as a threat. She never thought about anything when she was with Caspian, really. All she thought about was them and how perfect everything seemed to be whenever they were together.

"Susan, have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" Caspian's amused voice broke into her thoughts.

She blushed as she turned to look at him and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, no," she said in an apologetic tone. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you have an answer," he responded.

She didn't have to ask what he was talking about, she knew perfectly well what he was talking about.

His proposal.

Well, it wasn't an _official_ proposal, but it was a proposal nonetheless. Susan stayed up the night before thinking it over, weighing the pros against the cons. The main reason she would go along with it would be the fact that they would be able to unite two different nations together in, hopefully, peace and harmony. The only con that stayed glued to the top of the list was Peter. She knew that if Peter ever found out about the proposal, or if she accepted, he wouldn't take it too well.

"I've thought it over, a lot," she said slowly, as if measuring her words. Caspian stared at her intently. "I believe in a greater future for Narnia…so I decided to accept your proposal," she announced, a smile stretching across her face.

"R-really?" Caspian asked as his eyes lit up. Susan nodded before letting out a shriek when he picked her up and spun her around. Once he set her back down on the ground he pressed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. She automatically brought her arms up and hooked them around his neck, pulling him closer. He held her in a secure embrace, his hands resting on her lower back. "You've made me the happiest man in all of Narnia," he told her once he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers so he was looking in her eyes.

"We have much to do to prepare," Susan said with a sigh.

"We have plenty of time, Queen Susan," Caspian reassured her.

"I know, but I want to make sure everything is perfect," she said as she bounced on her toes. Her smile quickly faded. "But…Peter can't know about this. Not yet, at least."

"Why not?" Caspian asked.

"Well…I don't feel that he fully trusts you," she admitted with a sigh. "And with him being worried about the new Beasts I don't want to give him a reason to get stressed."

"I understand," he whispered before kissing her lightly. "And I can wait, as long as it takes, I'll wait."

* * *

"Lucy, wait," Crystal called after the young girl as she made her way down the hall as fast as she could. "Lucy, _stop_!"

"Why won't _anyone_ listen to me?" Lucy wailed as she stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm listening," Crystal pointed out. "What's going on? What's bothering you so much?"

"Everything," she wailed as Crystal led her over to a bench so she could sit. "Everyone still sees me as a little kid. They always _have_ to protect me. I just…hate it. I can't do anything to help, I'm not allowed to fight and I'm always stuck in the castle. The only time I'm allowed to help is when I'm giving someone some of my healing elixir from my cordial. _Anyone_ can do that." She let out a shaky breath as she pushed her hair behind her ear. "I hate waiting to hear if someone died. I want to help, anyway I can."

"So you basically want to help fight," Crystal said slowly.

"Basically," Lucy echoed.

"I guess…I can teach you how to fight," Crystal said with a slight hesitation.

"Did I hear right?" The two girls looked up to see Isabella walking quickly down the hallway, holding up the front of her dress. She had a stern look on her face as she kept her eyes locked on Lucy. "Did I hear right?" She repeated once she stopped in front of them. "You're going to teach Lucy how to fight?"

"Seeing as no one else will, yes," Crystal responded with a nod. Lucy noticed that her voice was tight, as if she was restraining herself.

"You know what Peter said," Isabella said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "He doesn't want Lucy to fight. Fighting is not a lady's affair and we shouldn't be involved."

"I'm all ready involved, and that rule is a load of bull," Crystal replied. "Susan is allowed to fight so it's only fair that Lucy can."

"Peter has made it clear that he doesn't want Lucy fighting," Isabella said through clenched teeth.

"Peter doesn't know everything. Lucy has potential." Lucy looked up and saw that Crystal's jaw was clenched, and her hands were also clenched into fists as she glared at Isabella. She knew that Crystal was short tempered, but this was too much.

"Please, stop fighting," Lucy stopped Isabella from snapping as she got to her feet. "I won't fight," she said as she lowered her head. "Just forget I ever said anything. Please, I don't want Peter mad at me."

"It's settled then," Isabella said with a triumphant smirk. It faded as she glared at Crystal and stepped closer to her so they were almost nose to nose. "And if I find out that you've been teaching her, you will be very _very_ sorry." Lucy and Crystal remained silent as they watched Isabella walk down the hallway, her head held up high.

"I'm still going to teach you," Crystal told Lucy once Isabella was out of earshot.

"You don't have to," Lucy said as she shook her head.

"I know, I want to," Crystal said with a smile.

"But Peter–" Lucy started.

"I'll deal with Peter when I have to deal with Peter," Crystal interrupted her with a firm tone. "Peter may be the oldest but that doesn't mean he's always right. You can make your own choices; he can't always run your life." She flinched when the necklace around her neck suddenly turned really cold. Crystal pulled it away from her skin and held it in her palm as she reached up to touch it with her other hand. It was still cool to the touch. Lucy opened her mouth to ask about it when they heard the clopping of hooves.

"I don't mean to interrupt," a centaur said as he approached, his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "But Prince Radwan is asking for your time," he continued as he nodded in Crystal's direction.

"Oh no," she sighed as she shook her head. "Why can't he take a hint? He treats me more like a possession than a person."

"I don't want you to go with him," Lucy said. "He tried to take Susan away from us before. I don't want the same to happen to you."

"It won't," Crystal reassured her.

"Stormhoof, please tell Prince Radwan that she is far too busy to spare any of her time," Lucy told the centaur who stood by, waiting patiently. "And see to it that he is escorted off the premises."

"Yes my Queen," Stormhoof said with a small bow before turning to carry out the orders. He carefully stepped down the stairs and walked through the Great Hall. He left the castle and went down a couple of grassy slopes before stopping in front of the horse that Prince Radwan was perched on.

"Well?" Prince Radwan demanded. "Will she see me or not?"

"She is very busy at the moment and cannot spare you any time," Stormhoof relayed Lucy's message.

"We'll just see about that," Prince Radwan muttered under his breath as his grip tightened on his reigns. "Good day," he added sourly before turning his horse around and rode off. _'I won't give up that easily,'_

* * *

"Ed." Peter lightly hit his brother's arm. Edmund moved slightly but relaxed and went right back to sleep. His right arm was sticking straight up and he used it as a pillow. His other hand was closed in a fist on the ground and he was curled into a semi-ball. Peter bit his lip to keep from laughing at the child-like state that he was in. "Ed!" Peter slapped his arm a little bit harder. Edmund just sucked in his breath and rolled over onto his other side.

"Allow me," Phineas said as he walked over to Edmund. He kneeled down a little ways away from Edmund but close enough so he could whip Edmund in the face with his tail. Edmund groaned as he brought his hands up to his face and rolled back to his other side.

"Are you awake now?" Peter asked with a smile as his younger brother glared up at him.

"What do you think?" Edmund demanded before getting to his feet. He rubbed his face before stretching his arms above his head and yawned. He looked around himself before looking at Peter. "How far are we from Rayuvial?"

"An hour, two tops," Peter told him. "Would you like to eat now or wait for later."

"I'd rather we get there sooner than later," Edmund responded as he rubbed his eyes.

"All right then. Pack up so we can get out of here. I don't want to leave any trace behind." Edmund grunted his reply before sleepily picking up their materials. Once they were all packed up he let Phineas stretch his legs as we went down to the nearest pond to get the sleep out of his eyes. He dipped his hands in the water and splashed his face, instantly waking his senses. He was going to put his hands in the water again when he peered at the surface, waiting for the ripples to diminish. Once the pond was still again he stared at the reflection that was on the surface.

Aslan.

Edmund whirled around, his eyes searching for the spot where Aslan was, but he wasn't there. Edmund's eyes shifted before he looked back at the pond. Aslan's reflection was gone. _'Did I really see that?'_ Edmund shook his head before standing and going back over to his brother, who was looking in the random direction.

"What are you looking for?" Edmund asked him.

"I'm not looking for anything," Peter responded. "That's the direction we need to go in," he pointed towards a small mountain.

"Are you sure that's the right way?" Edmund asked.

"You're just like our sisters, can't carry a map in your head," Peter said as he lightly flicked Edmund on the forehead and smiled good-heartedly.

"At least I have something in mine," Edmund responded with the same smile, remembering Lucy's response when she said that only four months earlier. Peter chuckled before his smile faded and the two went over to the horses that were waiting. Edmund didn't have to ask Peter before getting himself up on Phineas's back. He clicked his tongue and urged the dark horse forward.

The bouncing and rocking from sitting on Phineas's back kept him awake, even though he was really tired. The scenery was breath taking, although he didn't have much time to see it all. A couple of times they had to stop to urge Phillip and Ashen around a large gorge.

"Are we there yet?" Edmund grumbled from Phineas's back. He was slumped forward so his cheek was resting against Phineas's neck. His cheek was pushed up slightly so his mouth was hanging open.

"Yeah," Peter responded.

"How do you know?"

"Look up."

Edmund lifted his head and rubbed the drool off of his chin before looking straight ahead. A large gray castle with many towers and balconies loomed in front of them. It was the only structure in the area. It was surrounded by seas of beautiful green grass and a large lake was a few feet behind it.

As the two kings rode down the slopes the men in front stopped their sparring and looked over at the two guests. Once Peter and Edmund were recognized, the guests knelt and touched the backs of their hands with their foreheads in respect. Both Peter and Edmund nodded graciously as Phillip and Ashen continued on. They stopped outside the gate where a man held up his hand.

"I, King Peter, High King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel request an audience with King Elvrond. He has asked for us to come in urgency," Peter told the messenger.

"We have been awaiting your arrival, sire, please, follow me," the messenger said before turning around. "You can leave your horses with ours. They will be in the utmost care," he added. He waited for Peter and Edmund to get off of their horses. Two women suddenly appeared and led them off before the messenger turned and led them into the large castle.

Peter and Edmund looked around as servants and caretakers rushed around to get their tasks carried out. A couple stopped and looked at them in awe as they passed. Edmund tried not to laugh at the frustrated look on Peter's face when a couple of young girls giggled and winked at him as they passed. They were led down many corridors as the messenger took them to the king. Peter and Edmund looked around the castle in awe before coming to a halt so they wouldn't crash into the messenger.

"Wait here," the messenger said, stopping them in the doorway of a room. Peter and Edmund di as they were told. Peter was surprised that Edmund stayed quiet the entire time. He knew that it was hard for Edmund to follow orders, especially from someone he didn't know, but he was holding his tongue which Peter was grateful for. "You may come in now," the messenger said as he reappeared. Peter and Edmund exchanged a glance before stepping into the room.

Peter locked eyes with the middle-aged man that was sitting in the bright throne that reflected the sunlight as it came in through the windows of the sunroof. He had short jet black hair, as black as a raven, and a black beard and mustache. His bright blue eyes shone with the light from the sun. His handsome features were set into a look of worry as he stood and walked down the mini staircase to meet up with Peter and Edmund.

"King Peter?" King Elvrond asked hopefully.

"It is I," he responded. "And this is my brother, King Edmund," Peter said as he motioned to Edmund who nodded. "We came as soon as I got your letter."

"I hope the journey didn't wear you out," Elvrond said in an apologetic tone. "Would you like something to eat."

"Boy, would we!" Edmund blurted out as he rubbed his growling stomach. Peter gave him a sharp glare and Edmund dropped his hands. "But we need to discuss the task at hand."

"Right, come with me to the conference room," Elvrond said before sweeping his cape behind him and started to lead the brothers out of the hall. It was a short walk to the conference room. Elvrond took his seat at the head of the table while Peter and Edmund sat in the chairs to his left and right.

"Now, about these Beasts," Edmund started, getting right down to business. "They attacked Cair Paravel recently, but they haven't attacked after that. A couple of our soldiers were wounded but that was the extent of their injuries, nothing major. From what I've heard there are two different types, ones that resemble wolves and ones that resemble humans. The only way that can happen is if they're werewolves.

"Werewolves?" Elvrond repeated as he stroked his beard.

"They're creatures that can shift from human form to wolf form," Edmund explained. "It would explain how the Beasts have two different appearances."

"Do you know where it was that they came from?" Peter asked after a couple of seconds of silence.

"No one knows," Elvrond admitted. "They just showed up one day and started attacking. No one knows who sent them or why they were sent. They just appeared. It was so sudden. They just came right in and attacked us. We didn't have time to prepare, a few of our soldiers perished because of the surprise attack. I cannot stay here and endanger anyone else in the kingdom if they come back. That is why I am asking for your hospitality."

"I understand," Peter told him. "We have more than enough space for you to come and live at Cair Paravel. The castle is heavily guarded and our soldiers are well trained if anything should happen."

"What about the women?" Elvrond asked. "Some of my women are nursing."

"They will be in the utmost care," Peter reassured him.

"Not to be rude, Your Highness," Edmund spoke up, "But you seemed to be more concerned about the other women than your own family."

"That's because I don't have a family to be concerned about," he responded with a sad smile. Peter kicked Edmund's leg underneath the table and gave him a stern look.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Edmund said as he blushed in embarrassment. "I didn't realize–"

"It's quite all right, young one," Elvrond said with a peaceful smile. "We shall discuss more, but first you two should eat."

"Oh, we couldn't impose," Peter spoke up.

"Nonsense," Elvrond said as he dug through his robes. He pulled out a mini flute and played a D sharp. Almost immediately a centaur came in, his braided golden hair bounced along behind him.

"You called, sir?" The centaur questioned.

"Yes, my friends have traveled a long way. I would like for you to tell the cooks to prepare a meal for them, nothing too extravagant," Elvrond said to him.

"Yes, my Lord," the centaur said with a bow before he backed out of the room.

"You wouldn't happen to have Turkish Delights, would you?" Edmund asked eagerly. He jumped when he felt Peter kick his shin, harder than before. "Nevermind," he grumbled as he leaned forward to rub his shin.

"King Elvrond, while at Cair Paravel you and your kingdom will be safe, I can assure you," Peter told him. "We have many experienced warriors and–" he paused as his eyes rested on the necklace that hung around his neck. "I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "It's just…I think I've seen that necklace somewhere before."

"Really? I don't think that's possible," Elvrond said as he unclasped it from around his neck and held it out so Peter could look at it. "Only two were made, one for me and one…for my wife." Peter took it and stared at the silver pendant that had an ocean blue jewel embedded in the middle.

"Doesn't Crystal have one like that?" Edmund asked.

"I was thinking the exact same thing."

* * *

"I can't believe you girls are here!" Isabella gushed as she rushed over to Evlyn and Amelia who slid off their horses. "How come you didn't tell me you were coming?" She asked before hugging them both.

"We wanted to surprise you, Bell," Evlyn told her. "So, what's King Peter like? Tell us _everything_."

"He's absolutely wonderful," Isabella said with a giggle. "He's so handsome and strong…" she let her voice trail off.

"But…" Amelia supplied.

"His so called 'friend' is getting in the way!" Isabella all but whined. "She's always there! And he always takes _her _side. But she's such…an improper lady, I don't understand why they even like her."

"So…get rid of her," Amelia offered.

"How?" Isabella demanded, suddenly attentive.

"Frame her. Make it seem like she's done something bad that could get her kicked out, or ruin their friendship," Amelia suggested.

"But she hasn't done anything," Evlyn spoke up.

"_Yet_," Isabella corrected her. "She hasn't done anything yet. She's going against Peter's strict orders to teach Lucy how to fight, I know she is. I can use that information to my advantage. And, once Peter and I get married, she will be kicked out indefinitely."

* * *

**Whew, this was a long one for me. I wanted to fit everybody in so you could see what was going on. There's something really important in this chapter about Crystal, whoever guesses it right gets the next chapter dedicated to them. Did you like my little scene with Susan and Caspian? And how about with Elvrond? The title may not make sense with the story now, but it will come into play later on, trust me. I'm rambling, please leave a review.**


	10. Keeping it In

**Chapter 10: Keeping it In**

Isabella rolled her eyes as Evlyn told a story about the horse ride that she and her suitor, Prince Gregory, took before Evlyn and Amelia came to surprised Isabella. Truth be told, Isabella was tired of listening to Evlyn talk about how perfect Gregory was or how gentleman-like he was or how skilled he was in battle.

Isabella was ignoring her as she dreamed about her future with Peter. She and Peter had the castle to themselves. Isabella made sure that Edmund, Lucy, and Susan had been married and had moved to different Kingdoms. Isabella had the most beautiful dresses and jewelry around that other Queens were jealous. She and Peter would have a son, named after Peter of course, and a daughter named Isabelle. Isabella would want her daughter to have almost the exact same name as her to reflect how Isabelle would be raised and how she would take over as Queen if anything happened to her mother.

"Bella, you haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?" Evlyn asked as she looked at the dream-like look on Isabella's face. Her eyebrows were raised and she had a smile on her face despite the annoyance that was in her voice

"I'm sorry," Isabella apologized with a small chuckle. "I just have a lot on my mind. Peter should be back sometime tonight, if not tomorrow. What do you think I can do to show him how much I missed him?"

"You could hold a Welcome Back gathering," Amelia offered. "I'm sure High King Peter would appreciate it."

"I do not want to do that," Isabella told her, immediately dismissing the idea.

"Why not?" Amelia asked in confusion. "This will prove to the High King that you are able to take care of the castle while he is gone, showing him that you are the perfect girl to become his High Queen."

"I don't want to do it because the other ladies of the land that are eligible for him would want to come and the last thing I need is for Peter to be taken from me right from underneath my nose," Isabella responded as she glared.

"But they wouldn't dare," Amelia told her as she noticed Evlyn staying quiet. Evlyn was braiding her hair and staring at the ground, biting her lip at the same time. Amelia ignored her and turned her attention back to Isabella. "Just make sure you let them know that you're in charge and they'll leave Peter alone. They're bound to know by now that you're staying here."

"Will you two excuse me for a few minutes?" Evlyn asked suddenly as she stood. "I have to attend to something."

* * *

"The most important rule when you're fighting is never ever let your guard down," Crystal told Lucy as they started to make their way to the library. "Letting your guard down is the worst thing to do when you're fighting."

"Because you'll be vulnerable and have an open spot for someone to attack you," Lucy added as she nodded in understanding. "What else?" She made sure he voice was low so the passing servants wouldn't overhear her. The last thing she wanted was for Peter to find out that she was going to learn to fight. She would tell him, eventually, but she knew that it wasn't the right time, especially when they have to deal with the new Beasts that were attacking. He had to keep his mind on that and their safety than anything else.

"Sometimes it's easy to anticipate someone's next move, but don't get too cocky about it or it will be your downfall," Crystal continued. "Usually you should fight with your head, but in some cases it's acceptable to fight with your heart and what you believe in."

"Ok, so why are we going to the library instead of the sparring grounds?" Lucy asked in confusion as she sped up a little to keep up with Crystal's pace.

"Because I don't want you near the weapons yet, I want you to look them up in the library first, that way you know what you're up against," she responded before pushing open the doors to the library.

Lucy nodded in understanding before moving down the rows of books while Crystal went in the opposite direction. While Lucy researched on weapons Crystal went looking for a book that described Narnian jewelry. The fact that her necklace brought them to Narnia in the first place puzzled her, and she wanted to know what the cause of it was.

Once the two got their books they sat down at the table, quietly reading what the pages held. Lucy enjoyed the quiet, it gave her time to think about things and how her life is. She loved her life in England and she loved her life in Narnia. The only thing that she missed in both worlds was being around her mother. She missed their mother, even when she was back at her home in England, only because she and her siblings live with Professor Kirk.

Susan tried to fill in the void the best she could, but she wasn't a mother to Lucy, no matter how hard Susan tried. Sure, she was there whenever Lucy needed a girl to talk to and, during the bad times, she would always comfort Lucy. But lately, all Susan's mind has been on are banquets, dresses, suitors, and Caspian. Even if Susan didn't want to admit it, Lucy knew.

"Ah, Queen Lucy, I've been looking for you," Stormhoof said as he clopped into the library. His sandy brown hair was pulled back into a long braid that was draped over his shoulder and rested on his chest. "I have a letter for you."

"From whom?" Lucy asked as she stood from her seat to approach the centaur.

"James, My Queen," he responded before holding out the letter. Lucy smiled before taking the letter out of his hands. "Would you like anything, My Queen? Some tea perhaps? Or I could get you a pillow to rest your back on."

"No thank you, Stormhoof, I'm fine," she said with a smile. He nodded before turning around and walking out of the room. Lucy sat back down in her chair and looked up to see Crystal smiling at her. "What?"

"It's from that James kid isn't it?" Crystal asked.

"Yes it is," Lucy confirmed. "But why are you looking at me like that?"

"Luce, its obvious James thinks highly of you," Crystal told her. "And not in the obvious way you think," she quickly added when Lucy opened her mouth.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Evlyn said as she walked into the library and over to the table. Lucy and Crystal exchanged glances as Evlyn smiled a little. "I came on my own accord, not because of Isabella. I just wanted to tell you something about James."

"How do you know about him?"

"James is my little brother," she responded, laughing a little at the shocked look on their faces. "He's been talking about you quite a bit."

"Good things I hope," Lucy muttered.

"Of course, all good. James never speaks ill of anyone," Evlyn reassured her. "But to get onto serious matters, I wanted to explain about Isabella's behavior."

"You don't have to explain anything to me," Crystal said as she held up her hand, stopping Evlyn from speaking. "She hates me for no reason and I'm sure she's going to keep on hating me until I leave. I don't know when I will or how, so that's her own problem. But you don't have to explain Isabella to me, I'm sure she can do that herself."

"Yes, but there's something about her you need to know. She–" Evlyn started again.

"Lady Crystal, a tailor would like to see you." Stormhoof interrupted Evlyn as he came back into the room. Crystal put her face in her hands and let out a groan before standing. "I will show you the way."

"Thank you," Crystal said before following him out of the room. Evlyn let out a breath from her nose as she looked after the raven haired girl.

* * *

"Are you almost ready to go?" Peter asked King Elvrond as he made sure his things were secured to Ashen. She stomped on the ground, obviously not liking the weight that was on her back. Peter gave her an apologetic look before looking over at the king.

"Falan," King Elvrond called. A man with brown hair to his shoulders rushed over and bowed to his King. "Please make sure every woman is present and accounted for. I don't want to leave anyone behind."

"Yes My Lord." Falan bowed once more before rushing off to fill his orders.

"As soon as I know everyone is here then we shall leave," King Elvrond told Peter.

"Speaking of which, have you seen my brother?" Peter asked as he looked around. Phineas was waiting patiently with him and Ashen but his brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Last I saw him he was talking to one of our blacksmiths," Elvrond responded as he turned his blue eyes to Peter. "I can arrange for someone to go get him, if you'd like."

"That won't be necessary," Peter said as he shook his head. "He'll come when he comes, I'll have a talk with him later."

"But I thought you were in a hurry."

"I am, but Edmund will realize how important this is and will come," Peter explained. He turned away from Elvrond's gaze so he wouldn't see the guilty look on Peter's face. Peter would take full responsibility for Edmund but he wanted to seem like a respected leader and one that honors his commitments. Edmund was ruining that for Peter by not being there on time. Peter and Elvrond waited around a few more minutes before Edmund rushed over, panting.

"I'm sorry," Edmund apologized once he was under Peter's intense gaze. "I was talking to the blacksmith wondering if there was a certain type of metal that could be used to injure the new beasts."

"You could have at least told me where you were going to be," Peter said through clenched teeth.

"Relax, young one," Elvrond said with a smile. "We wouldn't have been able to leave if he was on time anyway. I haven't gotten word from Falan if every woman was accounted for."

Peter nodded before cutting his eyes at Edmund. Edmund widened his dark ones and looked back at Peter innocently, as if asking what he had done wrong. Peter just shook his head before stepping into the stirrup and settling down on Ashen's back.

"Careful, there, I am a lady after all," Ashen said in a teasing tone with a twinkle in her eye. Peter smiled a little as he gripped the reigns, ready to leave at any moment. He looked over to see Edmund pocket something before getting onto Phineas. Elvrond stayed on the ground, waiting patiently for Falan to report back to him. The young man came back, announcing that everyone was accounted for. Elvrond explained to Falan that he left some of his knights on guard in case they are attacked while he is gone. Falan went to give out the orders while Elvrond nodded to Peter, signaling that it was time to leave. He checked to make sure the women were secure before urging Ashen forward.

The rocking of the horse put Peter at ease as his eyes scanned the land in front of him. He was so relaxed that nights' worth of no sleep started to catch up to him. He could feel his eyelids drooping but he forced them to stay open. _'Stay awake Peter, everyone needs you right now. You can sleep when you get back.'_

Peter was surprised that, during the journey, the kids that were traveling with their mothers were quiet the entire time. Peter looked over his shoulder to see that they were slumped against their mothers, sleeping. Peter smiled as he looked at each angelic face, faces that reflected peace and innocence.

He remembered when he first saw that look on Susan's face when she was a baby. He didn't understand what he saw then, but he understood when he saw it on Edmund's face and on Lucy's face. Edmund and Lucy were very mischievous when they were younger much more than they are now. Peter would easily get frustrated with them, eventually yelling at them because of it. They, in turn, would get mad at him and stomp to their rooms. When Peter went to check on them later he would often find them asleep and that's when he would see the look on innocence on their faces that would automatically get him to forgive them and made him realize that they were just being kids.

Peter wished that they didn't have to deal with this at such a young age; he knew that they didn't understand why they were being relocated. He didn't even understand fully when he and his siblings were sent to live with Professor Kirk during the War. Sometimes he wished that they hadn't been relocated in the first place so they wouldn't have found Narnia and he wouldn't have to run a whole Kingdom with the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he accepted his destiny and knew that he had to do everything he could to keep them all as safe as possible.

"Pete," Edmund called to grab Peter's attention. They had stopped by a lake, which was the halfway point between Cair Paravel and Rayuvial. "I wanted to talk to you about Aslan's disappearance. Don't you think that it's odd that he left in the middle of a fight instead of helping us?"

"We can't always relay on Aslan," Peter said slowly as he watched Edmund's face. "We have to fend for ourselves."

"I know that, but why isn't he back yet?" Edmund countered. "If this was some sort of test then he should be back by now, right?"

"We can fend for ourselves," Peter insisted. "We've done it before and we have to do it now." He looked around at everyone before glancing towards Cair Paravel that was in the distance but visible. "We have to keep going if we want to be back soon. I don't want Susan to worry. Go round everyone up and go find the little kids."

"But, they're playing hide and seek!" Edmund protested.

"You're an expert at that game Ed," Peter said as he slapped his younger brother on the shoulder. "Go find them."

Edmund grumbled under his breath but did as he was told. Peter went over to Ashen to make sure she had eaten and was rested before the rest of their journey. Once he was convinced he got onto her back and waited for his brother to get everyone back to the horses. It was hard to get the kids to cooperate though. They kept running away from Edmund as he tried to get them to get back. Peter sighed and got back off of Ashen before going to help Edmund. The kids ran away from him too, giggling and darting out of his reach. _'I didn't have this much trouble with Ed or Lucy when they were at that age,' _Peter thought as he let out a breath in frustration.

"Kids, please go back to your mothers," Elvrond called, stopping the children from their game as Edmund rested his palms on his knees and started panting.

"Awww," they groaned as they pouted.

"Don't worry, the castle is big enough to have a better game of hide 'n' seek," Peter told them kindly. They cheered before rushing over to their respective mothers and getting back on the horses. "Thank you, sir."

"No thank yous are necessary," Elvrond said as he lifted a hand. "Come young ones, we must make up for lost time."

"Yes sir," Peter and Edmund said in unison before going back to Phineas and Ashen. Peter couldn't help but be amazed at how much the children respected King Elvrond. He pushed the thought out of his head as he clicked his tongue and urged Ashen forward, keeping his eyes on Cair Paravel and his heart on home.

* * *

Lucy aimed her arrow at the tree with the knot hole in it. She pulled back on the string, concentrating on her target like she's seen Susan do many times before. Perspiration formed on her brow as she concentrated hard.

"Queen Lucy!"

Lucy flinched and let go of her arrow. It passed the tree and disappeared into the dark woods. Lucy sighed in frustration as she lowered her arm. "Susan would've gotten that."

"Queen Lucy!"

Lucy looked up to see who had ruined her concentration. Her eyes widened when she saw Stormhoof galloping down the emerald green hill towards her. Lucy quickly looked herself over and pulled a face when she saw that her red dress was now adorned with grass stains. She quickly lifted her free hand to fix her crown and her hair before Stormhoof stopped in front of her, staring her down.

"Milady, your sister has been looking all over for you," Stormhoof told her. "She wants you to clean yourself before the royal feast tonight.

"I do not wish to go," Lucy said with a sigh. "It always bores me."

"Milady, your sister, the queen, has insisted your presence this evening. She says she has an announcement to make and it is very important that you should hear it," Stormhoof told her. He glanced at Lucy's dress and smiled a little. "If you go to the feast I will make sure your dress is cleaned before Susan can see it."

"Oh, all right," Lucy said with a sigh even though returned Stormhoof's smile. He took the quiver and bow from her before starting up the hill, Lucy followed quickly.

"Is anything bothering you, My Queen?" Stormhoof asked as he looked back on the young girl.

"No. Why?"

"You agreed faster than you normally would have. You would have put up a fight instead of agreeing," he pointed out.

Lucy just shrugged as she followed the centaur up the stone stairs and into the Great Hall. She almost ran into Caspian as he was coming out of the hallway. "I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I didn't see you there."

"It's quite all right, My Queen," Caspian said with a gentle smile. Lucy studied his face. His smile was bigger than usual and his eyes were brighter than normal. He quickly bowed and walked off as Lucy looked after him.

"He's up to something," she muttered to herself before rushing up the stairs and down the hall to her room. She closed the door and opened the door to her adjoining bathroom. She changed out of her dress and left it on the table by the door before slipping into the tub that was filled with perfectly warm water. A servant came in and started to wash her hair as she sat there, thinking and wondering when her brothers would come home. She wanted to tell Edmund about Caspian's behavior. She knew if she told Peter than he would jump to conclusions. She knew she could trust Edmund's judgment; he was the Just King after all.

The servant pinned Lucy's hair into an elegant bun on the top of her head before leaving to get Lucy's dress. She got out of the tub and dried herself off, wrapping herself in a towel as the servant came back in with her emerald green dress. She helped Lucy into it and tied up the back to make sure none of her back was shown. She then helped Lucy to get her makeup done right and put on her jewelry.

"You look absolutely beautiful, Queen Lucy," she said as Lucy studied herself in the mirror.

"Thank you," Lucy said politely as she smiled a little. Truthfully Lucy was over wearing dresses, wearing makeup, going to balls, and acting like a lady. But she knew that she couldn't say anything about it. She was a Queen after all, and she had to hold up a reputation. So, the only thing she could do was keep everything inside and try not to crack under the pressure. "Is Peter home yet?"

"Not yet, milady," the servant responded. "But I will let you know once he arrives."

"Thank you."

The servant left as Lucy sat down on her bed, pulling a book into her lap. She couldn't concentrate on the book because Isabella was barking out orders to servants to make sure everything was right for her brothers' return. She tried to block it all out and was succeeding until she heard Isabella shriek, "PETER, YOU'RE BACK!"

Lucy got to her feet and made her way down the hall and down the stairs as fast as her high heeled feet would let her. Once she entered the Great Hall she spotted her brothers talking to Susan, Caspian, and Crystal while Isabella clung to Peter's arm with a vice like grip.

"Susan, Crystal, Caspian, I would appreciate it if you would help escort these women to their rooms and help them get situated," Peter told them. "After that Su, I would appreciate it if you gathered some of the tailors to get measurements. They don't have any other clothes after they've been attacked."

"It'll be my pleasure," Susan said with a smile before hugging Peter, who had to literally yank his arm out of Isabella's grasp to hug her properly. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound."

"Well, we finally see who the favorite brother is," Edmund said as he rolled his eyes. Susan chuckled before giving him a hug too, which he, surprisingly, eagerly accepted. She motioned to the Rayuvian women to follow her. Peter's eyes narrowed when he noticed how closed Caspian and Susan were walking together but he didn't get a chance to comment on it.

"Peter! Edmund! I'm so glad you have returned!" Lucy cried out as she rushed over to them.

"Lu! Wow, you look stunning!" Peter commented as he hugged his youngest sister.

"You don't look…half bad," she said as she covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile as she looked them over. Their hair was messy and their clothes were stained with mud and were torn in different places. "Don't you think you should go and get yourselves cleaned up?"

"You're so right," Peter agreed. "Why don't you show King Elvrond around while we go do that? Isabella, please go get your father for me."

"Anything for you, Peter," she said with a big smile before rushing off. Lucy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from saying whatever came to her mind about how much she disliked Isabella.

"King Elvrond, this is my sister Lucy," Edmund said as the Rayuvian king came over. He nudged Peter and the two walked off as servants bustled around them to put the finishing touches on the Great Hall.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elvrond said as he shook Lucy's hand and bowed politely as Lucy curtsied. Lucy looked up and looked the king over, amazed by how young his face looked but his eyes gave away years of experience that showed how old he really was.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Lucy responded politely. "I don't think everything is finished in here, would you like to have a tour of the castle while we wait?" She easily fed Elvrond one of her rehearsed lines.

"I would love one," he said as he held out his arm. She smiled and took it before leading him out of the Great Hall. He seemed to be really interested in the castle and the protection it offered. Elvrond was also interested in things that interested Lucy. She started to enjoy herself in his company. But he was no James.


	11. Checkmate

**Chapter 11: Checkmate**

**_-LUCY'S POV-_**

I sat on my throne, by Susan's side, trying not to yawn at how boring the feast was. We've been sitting here for the past fifteen minutes greeting our guests. All ready it became boring to me and the whole feast hadn't even started yet. The pins that were holding my hair up were staring to give me a headache as they poke into my scalp. I was sure that they would eventually make me bleed. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my head. I looked over to Peter, hoping that I would disappoint him with my misery.

He was too busy talking to Caspian whose throne, which was created earlier today, was pitted in between Peter's and Susan's. She kept glancing at him and exchanging a secret smile with him when Peter wasn't looking. Peter and Edmund were exchanging quiet words as more guests entered the Great Hall. The noise of chatter was almost deafening and I was about to scream when I spotted James walking into the Great Hall followed by Evlyn.

James looked around and said something to Evlyn and she nodded before saying something back. I watched as he walked over to a few kentaurides that were standing by the table that was decorated with flowers. I followed him with my eyes as he walked back to his sister before looking over in our direction. My breath got caught in my throat as his eyes rested on me and he smiled before lifting his arm and waving. I smiled and waved back; ignoring the look that Susan was giving me.

"He is cute, isn't he?" She asked as she leaned over so she could whisper in my ear.

"Please, Susan," I said as I made a face. She chuckled as Peter looked around at us before standing. I quickly glanced at the tables and saw that Isabella was sitting in the chair next to Peter's, where Edmund would normally sit. She was sitting with Amelia and Evlyn and had the biggest smile on her face. Amelia's expression matched Isabella's but Evlyn looked worried about something. Her facial features were twisted in a way that she didn't want anyone to know what was wrong but they could easily tell that something was. I covered my mouth with my hand so no one would hear me laughing. The annoyed look that was on Crystal's face was enough to make me disrespect Peter. I couldn't help it, the fact that Prince Radwan somehow found a way to sit next to her was amusing.

"I want to thank you all for coming on such short notice," Peter said once the whole hall was quiet. He had to wait a few extra minutes because of the little children that were still talking. Their mothers had to shush them and give him apologetic looks which he waved away with a smile. "I want you all to know that my brother, King Edmund, and I are getting closer each day to figure out how to defeat these new Beasts. So you can all rest assured that they will be defeated soon." He paused to wait for the applause of their support to die down before he continued. "Because of the new beasts, the kingdom of Rayuvial lay partially in ruins. The women of Rayuvial are going to stay here for the time being, along with their children, so I would appreciate it if you would treat them the way you all would like to be treated if you were a guest in someone else's home. Their king, Elvrond, has accompanied them and is also going to stay here for a while to help Edmund and I think of a way to destroy these beasts once and for all. But for now, enjoy the time that you have together. Eat, drink, and be merry."

Peter then sat down as everyone in the Great Hall applauded. He blushed faintly as he smiled in gratitude. He nodded towards the dwarf band and they nodded back before they started to play an up-tempo song. Almost all at once everyone started talking as chairs were pushed back so couples could start to dance. Clopping hooves also filled the air as the servants started to serve the guests. I glanced at Peter again and saw that he was looking at me. He got up from his throne and walked over to me before bowing. He held out his hand and asked, "Queen Lucy, will you grant me a dance?" He had a playful smile on his face and the familiar twinkle was back in his eye. I giggled softly and nodded yes as he took my hand and led me to the dance floor.

Everyone was looking at us with soft smiles as Peter led me through the dance steps. It was hard for me to keep up at first and I stumbled a couple of times, but eventually it got easier. "How was everything while I was gone? Did anything happen?" He asked over the music as he spun me before pulling me back to him.

"We didn't get attacked if that's what you're asking," I responded. "We tried looking for Aslan but we couldn't find him. We don't know where he could have gone. Some people are getting worried; they say his leaving is a sign that something bad is going to happen."

"I'll ask the guards to see if they know anything about his whereabouts," Peter told me. "How was Isabella?" He asked hesitantly.

"Well, she restored order," I responded slowly. "She knows how to make sure that everything is running properly."

"Well, that's good," Peter said with a nod. "But I feel that there's something you're not telling me."

"We don't like her," I blurted out as I looked him in the eye. "She can restore order but she's too bossy and mean. She keeps trying to get Crystal into trouble. I don't know what she has against her, I think it's because Crystal's not...very girly and she can easily talk to you and Edmund."

"I'll talk to her about it," Peter said with a sigh. "I figured after staying here for a while she would change," he said more to himself than to me. I kept my mouth shut and danced with him for the rest of the song. When the song ended he bowed and I responded with the best curtsy I could give him. "Try to mingle with the other children, ok? They're nervous about being in a new castle," he said as he looked over at them. I looked over too and saw that they were all pretty young, the oldest of them were probably only seven and they wouldn't tear themselves away from their mother's sides.

"Ok, maybe they'll play a game with me."

"They really love Hide 'n' Seek," he said with a wink. I winked back before making my way over to them. They all seemed to freeze as I walked over and looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes.

"I've been told that you all like to play Hide 'n' Seek," I said with a kind smile.

"Yeah," a little girl cheered. "It's our favorite game."

"Start hiding," I said in a sing song voice as they laughed and jumped up from the table. "But stay out of the rooms with closed doors," I called after them. "Enjoy yourselves," I said to their mothers as they smiled in appreciation.

"Queen Lucy, I've been looking for you," James said with a bright smile as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Do you want to take another walk?"

"No, but you can help me find the little kids," I responded. "We're playing Hide 'n' Seek."

"Sounds like fun, let's go," he said before taking my arm and we rushed out of the Great Hall. I looked around and saw that the kids had disappeared and the halls were empty.

"Wow, they are good," I commented as we started down the hall, the only sound that filled the vast area was the clacking of my heels. I stopped and pulled them off of my feet and let out a sigh of relief. James took my shoes from me with a smile before we started running down the hallway, following the sound of giggling little kids.

We found four of them and started looking for another when a really loud shriek echoed down the hall.

"Isabella," James groaned.

"You don't like her either?" I asked as I glanced at him before looking behind a potted plant that could have easily concealed one of the small children.

"No, she comes over a lot and the only thing I hear is how un-ladylike some of the women are, which isn't true at all," he said as he made a face. "I don't know why Evlyn's friends with her."

"That's right, Evlyn told me that you're her brother," I told him. "She seems to be getting tired of her. She tried to tell us what Isabella is all about but Crystal stopped her because she didn't want Evlyn to become Isabella."

"But there's something about her that everyone knows that you should," James said as he held out his hand to stop me from walking. "She has this...power, I guess you can say, to control people. If she looks at someone in a certain way they fall for her and she can control them. She's always wanted to be married to a king because she's greedy. If she gets her hands on Peter, she'll be your new sister. It's hard to break the trance once she's gotten someone under her spell."

* * *

**_-NORMAL POV-_**

"I appreciate you taking your time to dance with the women of my kingdom," Elvrond said as he approached Peter who had to sit down. His feet were starching to ache from dancing so much but he didn't want anyone else to know he was tired so he faked that he was hungry to get his strength back. Well, he didn't fake it, he was hungry, but he didn't want the women to know that he turned down a dance with them because of his stomach.

"It's my pleasure, anyway that I can make them feel welcome," Peter said with a smile as he nodded in gratitude to the servant who put his food in front of him.

"If I may, I would like to have a word with you," Elvrond announced suddenly in the middle of their discussion of battle tactics. Peter raised his eyebrows but nodded before scooting back his chair to stand. Before he was out of his seat Isabella latched herself onto his arm.

"Peter, you have to do something about this," she said as she widened her eyes and gave him the best innocent look that she could give.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked with a sigh as he looked down at her.

"You have to do something about _that_," Isabella said as she pointed. Peter followed the direction that her finger was pointing and groaned under his breath. Radwan was talking to Crystal and Peter could tell by the look on her face that she was close to losing her temper. Crystal shook her head and tried to walk away but Radwan grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her pack so Crystal slapped him across the face. "She's setting a bad example and she's not acting ladylike at all. I say you should punish her."

"Umm...Isabella, please go and tell the servants that it is time to bring out the desert for everyone," Peter said as he lightly touched Isabella on the arm. "Let me deal with this, OK?"

Isabella nodded before walking off with a smirk on her face. When she was out of Peter's earshot she barked at anyone who stood in her way. She ignored comments asking why she was with Peter, how he could tolerate her, or if he was going to marry her. _'They'll regret every saying those things about me once I become Queen.'_

He let out a sigh of frustration once Isabella was out of earshot. Peter, to put it lightly, was tired of Isabella's behavior towards any woman that Peter came across. She was jealous, needy, and clingy which aren't the qualities that Peter wanted in a future High Queen. He knew that he had to tell her, he also knew how she'd take it so he wanted to avoid it, but he knew that he couldn't. He'd be seen as a coward, not just to his family, but to everyone in Narnia.

"I'm sorry, I have to deal with this first," Peter apologized to Elvrond before weaving his way through the dancers to stop at the arguing couple. "Is there a problem?" Peter asked as he looked back and forth between them.

"No problem at all," Radwan said coolly as he glared at the High King in disdain. "I was just trying to get this pretty lady to dance with me, that's all."

"I saw what you did and I will not let you treat women that way," Peter told him in an even tone. "I ask kindly that you let the lady go."

"I have business with the lady," Radwan snarled.

"I believe he said to let the lady go," Elvrond in a calm tone as he stared Radwanh down. Peter looked back and forth between them, waiting to see what would happen as Crystal stayed silent. Radwan finally let go of Crystal's arm as he continued to glare at Elvrond.

"Did he do anything to you?" Peter asked as he rested his hand on Crystal's lower back. She shook her head as she rubbed her arm. "Go find Ed, I don't want you to be around him anymore and I'm sure Edmund would rather leave. Go to the study I'll meet you two there later, I have to talk to you about something."

"That seems to be the only way you'll talk to me now," she muttered with an eye roll. Peter opened his mouth to comment but she stopped him by addressing Elvrond.

"Thank you...er..." she said as she made a face.

"King Elvrond," he said as he took her hand and bowed before kissing it. He stood up straight and studied her face as she looked back; an uncomfortable look was on hers.

"Thank you again," Crystal muttered as she shifted her gaze before scanning the room. Once her eyes rested on Edmund's she started walking towards him. "HEY, ED!" She shouted, causing Peter to wince.

"Sorry about that," Peter muttered in embarrassment. "I'm going to have a talk with her about that."

"Why, if you do not mind me asking," Elvrond said in curiosity. Peter gave him a questioning look so he continued. "Her behavior is refreshing. She may act differently than other woman of Narnia, but she is a lady in a different way. She has her own opinions, not that others don't, but she's not afraid to let people know what they are. So, before you get too hard on her, think about that."

"This isn't what you wanted to talk to me about, is it?" Peter asked.

"It isn't, what I want to speak to you about is far more serious," Elvrond responded, the twinkle in his eye faded at his words.

* * *

**_-EDMUND'S POV-_**

"Thank you for taking me out of there," I said with a sigh of relief as I pulled my crown off of my head and held it in my hands. I looked at the crown and admired the jewels that were embedded on the silver crown which matched my silver attire. I unclasp the brooch that held my scarf and folded it as we continued walking down the hall to the study. "What's wrong?" I asked as I looked over at Crystal. She just shrugged as we walked down the hall. "No really, there's something bothering you, I can tell. What is it?"

"It's nothing Ed," she said as she forced a smile. It wasn't one of her genuine smiles; her eyes didn't light up like they usually did. That's what worried me.

"You're lying," I accused once the door to the study was closed and I sat down in a chair that was on the opposite side of a large table that held a chess set. Peter and I left it there three nights ago after our intense chess game. I have yet to be able to beat him in a game, two times I have come close, but he's always been able to defeat me.

"Ed...I'm just...not in the mood, ok," she said as she sat down across from me. "I don't even know why I was pulled here with you; I stick out like a sore thumb. I've been trying to figure out why I've been brought here but..." she let her voice trail off.

"You were brought here for a reason though," I told her. "I learned that the hard way. Narnia expects something out of you in the long run."

"Even if it did I wouldn't be able to do anything about it," she muttered.

"What gives you that idea?"

"Your brother," she responded.

"I don't follow."

"Ever since we've come here Peter isn't Peter anymore," she explained. "I understand that he's the High King and all but he doesn't give himself any time to have fun or to relax. I mean, I don't get to talk to him anymore and I miss that. The only time he actually talks to me now is if he's mad at me about something."

"Or because Isabella's stuck to him like glue," I added. "I know what you mean, though. It's kind of different for me because he's my brother but I do get to talk to him more than you." I studied her face as I asked, "Do you fancy him?"

"No," she said as she made a face. "He's like my brother, like you. It's just...my step-dad and I don't talk that much as it is. There's this...void in me that ebbs at me. When I met you guys you filled that void, especially Peter because he always looked out for me. It may have been annoying but I appreciated it. I miss it now that he's always preoccupied and it's like I can't do anything right about here. It's like I've lost his respect towards me."

"He hasn't, like you said he's been busy," I explained. "I understand what you mean when you say that he needs to relax, but with this new threat he can't. He needs to make sure everyone is safe and that we have a way to fight back if they come attack again."

"That's another problem," she spoke up. "He's too preoccupied on safety. Sure, I understand that the women need to be protected, especially the ones that have children, but he knows that I can take care of myself. I mean, I've dealt with a guy twice my size and I came out fine. He's treating me like...like Lucy."

"I'll talk to him about it, I can't make any promises, but I'll try to change some of his views."

"Thanks Ed, you're the best."

I couldn't help but smile. Not because of the compliment, but because she trusted me with something this big. As we grew up together we've spent a majority of our time arguing. We never meant what we said, but it was nice to have a pleasant conversation for a change. At first I thought that she was just a tough, tenacious, tooth-and-nail type of girl but she's really let me know that she's actually vulnerable and lost on the inside.

The scraping sound of the door opening grabbed my attention and I stood as Peter came into the room. He closed the door behind himself and let out a breath before taking his crown off of his head and unclasped the brooch to his cape.

"What a day," he muttered as he ran a hand through his hair before looking up at us. "I don't want to keep you here so I might as well get to the point. Crystal, I know you were defending yourself, but you can't go around slapping people like that. It's disrespectful for one thing, and it sets a bad image on Cair Paravel."

"You can't ask me to change who I am," she told him in a tight voice as I looked back and forth between them. I could tell she was having a hard time holding back her anger by the way her jaw was clenched.

"No, but I can ask you to tone it down," he responded. "Don't get me wrong, I love how unique you are, but the Narnians aren't used to it and their views on how a woman acts are very different than ours back in Finchley."

"You're basically asking me to be a different person."

"You kind of are," I spoke up. I felt uncomfortable being silent throughout the whole thing and felt that I should have left but I had to speak to Peter first. Peter lifted his eyebrows as he glanced at me, as if accusing me of something. "She feels that you don't let her do anything and that you treat her like a kid. She was brought here with us for a reason, Pete. She doesn't want to sit around and not do anything, she wants to help and I feel the only way she can do that is if you allow her to train with us."

"Out of the question," he said as he shook his head.

"What are you afraid of?" I asked as I looked him in the eye. "You know that she can roll with the punches and she can hold her own. So why are you being so overprotective?"

"To tell the truth I don't want to break the promise I made to her father," he admitted after a couple of seconds of silence.

"What promise?" she asked as her eyebrows knitted together. "You barely even talk to my step-father so how would you make a promise to him?"

"That's beside the point," he said as he waved his hand in a dismissive way.

"How about this. We play a game of chess, if I win you have to let her train with us, if I don't then she'll follow your rules without complaint."

A thoughtful look came onto Peter's face as he thought over the proposition. "Deal," he agreed with a nod.

* * *

Susan hummed to herself as she brushed her hair and looked out the window to the starry night sky. The gathering went great, despite a few flaws, and Susan felt that it was a success. She loved the Rayuvian women and their kids were adorable. She was amazed that some of them had a slight French accent that she was able to pick up.

She never really had a chance to explore Narnia before and didn't know that there were many different races of people there. The Telmarines were of a Spanish descent and the Rayuvians were of a French descent.

She spent time with them and learned that, when they were born, they were all put in arranged marriages by their fathers. They were comfortable with it because it was part of their history. They all seemed to like the fact that they were set up because they didn't have to deal with suitors asking for their hand, their husbands were all ready picked out for them.

Susan imagined what her life would be like if Peter or her father had picked who she would have to eventually marry and she admired them for being open to it. Susan would like to have a word in who she would want to marry, which was a reason why she was considering marrying Caspian.

He made her feel like her old self, not like the queen that she was. She wasn't afraid to be herself around him; she didn't have to act prim and proper all of the time. Even when she felt at her worst he made her feel at her best, which used to be something only her parents and her siblings could do.

"I'll do it," she told herself as she continued to brush her hair. "I'll marry Caspian. I'll figure out how to deal with Narnia and Finchley later, this is what I want to do." Her voice was firm and she stared to believe that she had made the right decision. "Peter may not approve, but this is my life and this is what I want to do with it."

"You know speaking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," Lucy commented suddenly, causing Susan to jump.

"How much have you heard?" Susan asked as she turned to face her sister.

"The only part I heard was about Peter not approving," she responded as she sat down on Susan's bed. "Not approving what?"

Susan hesitated about telling Lucy the truth. _'What if she tells Peter before I can? I can't risk that...but Lucy knows when to keep things between us and she does keep her word when it comes to making a promise...'_ Susan glanced at the door to make sure it was closed before looking at Lucy. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about this."

"I promise, I promise," Lucy said as she swung her legs back and forth, waiting patiently.

"Caspian...he asked me to marry him," Susan announced as she watched Lucy's face for a sign of anger or an expression that was close to that. Lucy's eyes widened in shock before a huge grin came across her face.

"Susan! That's so wonderful!" She squealed as she got to her feet and took Susan's hands in hers. "When did he ask? What dress are you going to wear? Can I be the maid of honor? When is the wedding? Does Peter know?"

"Peter doesn't know, not yet at least," Susan told her. "He has too much on his plate, he has to protect the kingdom, he has to make sure the Rayuvian women are comfortable, he has to get information on the new Beasts, and he has to deal with Isabella."

"That's a challenge in its own," Lucy muttered. When she looked at Susan's face she added, "I'm sorry, but she is so horrid. I don't know why he doesn't let her go; she's not right for him. Sure, she can get anything done but it's because she steps on people to get to the top. He's better off with...with..."

"With Crystal," the two girls announced in unison before laughing. In the back of her mind, Lucy fought with herself to tell Susan about what James told her but she decided to keep it to herself and to tell Peter herself the next morning. It was getting late and she didn't want Peter to stay up with that on his mind.

"Seriously, when are you going to tell Peter?" Lucy asked once their laughter subsided.

"Once all of this is over," Susan responded. "I want Peter to be in a good mood when I tell him. Besides, Caspian said he'll wait so..." she let her voice trail off as a smile appeared at the thought of him.

"He'll be a great brother," Lucy told her genuinely, which made Susan's heart swell as she pulled her sister into a hug.

That's what she wanted to hear.

* * *

Peter was getting close to beating me again and I was getting even more frustrated than I all ready was. I was annoyed with the fact that Peter was beating me again, which you'd think I'd get used to. The other reason I was annoyed was the fact that I had to go and make a deal with him, one that I would probably end up paying the price for. Crystal would have to do what Peter said without complaint for one thing, which is something she didn't like doing, and then she'd be mad at me and I didn't want that.

I studied the chess board as Peter sat in his chair, waiting patiently. Crystal was sitting in a chair on the side of the table, holding her head up with her palm. From what I could see there were only two places that I could move and it would put Peter in a check both ways, but there was probably a way for him to beat me. _'God, this is so frustrating!'_

I picked up my knight and moved it before muttering sleepily, "Check."

I rested my forehead on the table as I tried to force my eyes open as I yawned. I don't know how long we've been playing but I was really tired. I could fall asleep on this chair, I was _that_ tired. I heard the tiny clatter of Peter putting down his piece so I looked up to see where I had to move and I made a face.

Peter had me again. I looked up at him and he stared back. He tried to be expressionless but I could see the victory that was reflecting in his eyes. I let out a breath and looked back at the board as I tried to find a way out of this.

"Did you find out anything else about the Beasts?" Peter asked suddenly as I glanced up at him with squinted eyes. _'What in the world is he trying to pull?'_

"Before we left to come back I talked to a couple of Rayuvian soldiers," I responded as I looked back down at the board. "We all ready know that they have a human shape and a wolf shape, so we have to be ready for that. They also said something about them coming out of the darkness, whatever that meant. I assumed that they meant they came out of the woods somewhere or they could be from the Telmarine area."

"I disagree with the Telmarine part," Peter said as he shook his head. "I've sent a patrol over there when we first got here and there was nothing there that showed signs that it was inhabited. Maybe they're front the mountain area?"

"Maybe." I focused on the chess pieces again until Peter spoke.

"Crystal, King Elvrond has the same necklace as you," he said out of the blue as Crystal's eyebrow rose.

"That's weird," she said as she made a face. "I assumed that this was one of a kind. My step-dad gave it to me when I was a kid and I never saw a style like this." A thoughtful look came to her face before she added, "I can't put my finger on it, but it feels like I've met him somewhere before."

Silence fell over us as I continued to stare at the pieces. Peter let out a breath and rubbed his eyes as I was getting ready to move a piece. "Ok," he let out a sigh. "Ok, I'll meet you halfway. You can train with us, but if I say that something is too dangerous for you to do and that I want you to stay here, I expect you to do it."

"I will," Crystal said with a big smile. "Thanks Peter!" She said before reaching over to hug him. He made a grunting sound before hugging her back. I forced my eyes back down on the chess pieces as a strange feeling filled me.

"I wish to ask for your forgiveness for the way I've treated you in the past. I haven't been treating you like the good friend you are and you didn't deserve that."

"You're forgiven."

"Now that our demands are met, I think the game is over," Peter said as he scooted back his chair and started towards the door.

"Pete," I called after him.

"Yeah, Ed?" He asked as he turned around.

I moved a piece forward and smile a tired smile at him before announcing, "Checkmate."

* * *

**Whooo! Eleven pages in Microsoft word and 5,347 words! That's my new record! I hope you all liked this chapter; I wanted Edmund to have a bigger part in this one. You will see a better scene between Elvrond and Crystal in the next chapter. There will be more Suspian fluff in the next one for you Suspian lovers. Please leave a review!**

**-Crystal**


	12. Camisado

**Chapter 12: Camisado**

**_Isabella's POV_**

"How could he do that to me?" I demanded as I paced in my room. I crossed my arms over my chest and clenched my jaw. In my mind I wanted to kill King Peter. _'How could he turn me away like that, how? After everything I've done for him while he was here, even while he was gone! I had to deal with his annoying family and for what? To be turned away like...like...a rejected suitor. And it was all because of that...Ruby girl. She took King Peter's attention away from me and I won't stand for it any longer!'_

I crossed the room slid open my father's door as quietly as I could. I listened to make sure he was still asleep, if he woke up before I could even do anything I would be in a lot of trouble. I smiled to myself when I heard his soft snoring. I closed the door and changed into my traveling clothes as quietly as possible.

I slowly opened the door and looked around to make sure there were no servants walking around. I tiptoed out and down the hall, glancing over my shoulder a couple of times to make sure I wouldn't be spotted.

I cheered to myself for my successful escape before going over to the horse pen. I spotted my horse, Rynam, sitting alone at the other end of the pen. She reminded me of me for a split second before I forced that thought out of my head. I called her over and lovingly rubbed her nose before opening the gate to the pen and letting her out.

"Where to, Mistress?" She asked as I hoisted myself onto her back. I made a face when I realized that she didn't have a saddle. I have never ridden sidesaddle on a horse without a saddle. I forced myself to get over it and got onto her. Rynam waited patiently for me to get comfortable before she started forward. It took me a little bit to get comfortable, I almost fell off three times, but I eventually got used to the rocking rhythm.

I drew my cloak closer to me when the cool breeze bit through my traveler's dress. I shivered involuntarily and Rynam could feel it. "Are you all right Mistress?"

"I'm a little cold, Rynam," I responded. "How close are we?"

"We are almost there, Mistress, hang on for a few more minutes."

I let out a breath as I pulled my cloak tighter around me. Even in the darkness I could see the faint outline of the cave and there was a flickering light inside. Rynam stopped and allowed me to slide off of her back before I walked into the cave. _'It's a good thing I switched to my riding boots'_ I told myself as I stepped over the rocks to get to the mouth of the cave. _'If I were in my other shoes I would have hurt my delicate feet.'_

"Who's there?" A raspy voice called out, echoing through the darkness.

_'Careful, Bella, don't blow this.'_ "Princess Isabella of Melshire asks for an audience," I said in my strongest voice possible, even though I was shaking in my boots. My breath came out shaky when I heard gruff whispers before the sound of approaching footsteps. A man appeared in front of me, his face hidden in the shadows while the fire behind him illuminated him, making it look like he was glowing. "Who are you?"

"Carlisle, the leader of this pack," he responded, his unusually long canines glowing in the sliver of moonlight. "What is it that you seek?"

"Your aid," I responded.

"Aid?" He repeated. "For what, _Princess_?" He sneered. "Your father can't help you?"

"I need your helping getting rid of someone, someone who lives in Cair Paravel."

Carlisle's eyes seemed to brighten, even in the darkness, when I mentioned Cair Paravel. His smile got wider, making it look more menacing. He brought his hand up to his chin as he let out a growl-like breath. "What do you have in mind?"

I couldn't stop the smile that came to my face.

* * *

**_Normal POV_**

Peter awoke with a start when a scream pierced the air. His heart started beating against his chest as he jumped out of his bed and grabbed his sword, which was resting on a dresser. He quickly pulled on a pair of pants before flinging open his door and charged down the hall. He heard crashing sounds and a cry of pain before Edmund's door flew open. The room to Caspian's door flung open and the two rushed to meet up with Peter before they burst into Crystal's room.

"What's going on?" Edmund asked as he and Peter both drew their swords and held it in front of them.

"There was something in here," Crystal explained as she rubbed her neck. "Whatever it was tried to strangle me."

"Let me see," Edmund said as he moved to her side. She lowered her hand and lifted her chin. He looked closer and saw, in the moonlight, that there were red marks on her neck in the shape and size of a grown man fingers. He whistled as he backed away and looked at Peter.

"Where'd the attacker go?" He asked as he looked around, as if expecting it to pop out at him.

"Whatever it was went out the window," she responded. Peter and Edmund dashed to the window and looked around. Peter nudged Edmund and pointed in the distance. Edmund squinted and looked around before his eyes rested on a small dark shape moving in the distance.

"Edmund, go tell the guards to double up around the castle grounds," Peter told him. He nodded and rushed out of the room, almost crashing into Susan and Lucy as they entered.

"Crystal, are you OK?" Susan asked as she and Lucy dashed into the room. "What happened?"

"Something came in here and tried to strangle her," Caspian said as he pointed to the red marks that were on Crystal's neck.

"Are you OK?" Lucy asked with wide eyes filled with fear and curiosity.

"Yes, I'm fine," Crystal responded, suddenly wishing she wasn't the center of attention.

"It's getting late," Peter spoke up as Edmund came back into the room. "To reduce the risk of this happening again, Ed I want you to stay in Su's room and Caspian I want you to stay in Lu's and I'll stay here."

Peter could feel the girls giving him odd looks but he ignored them and kept his eyes on Edmund and Caspian. They both had confused looks on their faces but it wasn't as intense as the confused look on Edmund's face. Peter crossed the room and sat down in a chair before resting his sword against the desk. Edmund, Susan, Caspian, and Lucy took that as a sign to leave.

"G'night Peter," Lucy called to him before closing the door behind all of them. Peter noticed an amused smile was on her face but he didn't have time to comment on it before the door was closed the rest of the way.

"You're going to need your sleep for tomorrow," Peter told Crystal.

"I can't sleep," she responded as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Why not?" He asked as he rubbed his hand over his face and let out a sigh. She shook her head and rested her forehead on her knees. Peter let out a breath, knowing automatically that he wasn't going to get the sleep he deserved. He got up from his chair and crossed the room. Crystal felt her bed sink and little when Peter sat next to her. "What's wrong?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and shifted her so her head was resting on his shoulder.

"I don't feel like I belong here," she admitted with a sigh. "Aside from you and your family, no one likes me here and they think I'm in outsider that shouldn't be here. The only reason they pretend to accept me being here is because Aslan made it clear that he wanted me here."

"You were brought here with us for a reason," he pointed out as he gave her a little squeeze. "Narnia needed you here for a reason and you will eventually find out what it is. As for the others, don't worry about what they think. You never did before."

"I'm not in my comfort zone, that's why," she responded with a small smile. "Peter, will I be able to go back home? Not that I don't like it here. This castle and the grounds are very beautiful but...I miss my step...my father."

"I don't know a way for you to get back. If you _really_ wanted to you'd have to wait for Aslan to return, but we don't even know when he's going to be back. And besides, I thought you'd take the chance to show me that you can deal with fighting."

"Oh, I will," she said with a tiny smile. "Then you'll be begging me to cover your arse in battle." She let out a breath and was silent for a while. Peter thought that he had talked her to sleep when she asked, "Why're you so protective of me?"

"I told you, I made a promise to your father," Peter responded as he looked down at her and saw that she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I know, but _why_ did you make the promise to him?" She asked before letting out a yawn. Goosebumps spread across his shoulder when her warm breath floated across his skin.

"I felt like I had to," he said after thinking for a minute. "You're like a sister to me anyway; if anything happened to him I want you to know that I'm here, along with my siblings. Consider us your second family. Do you accept that answer?" His response was silence. "Crystal?" He looked down and smiled to himself when he saw that she had fallen asleep. He tried to shift her so he could get off of her bed to allow her to sleep but he would have had to wake her up to do that. _'I'll just stay here, I guess.'_ He gently leaned back and pulled her down with him. He pulled the covers over them and checked to see if she was still asleep. "G'night," he muttered before closing his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Susan had a soft smile on her face as she gently traced the abs that were sculpted into Caspian's stomach from years for training. To her, his muscles were perfect and no amount of training would change that. She looked up to his sleeping face and saw the peaceful expression that was etched onto it. She took his hand and kissed each finger gently. The soft affectionate action alone caused Caspian to wake up. She smiled at him before tilting her head up to kiss him good morning.

Susan made Edmund switch with Caspian so Edmund was looking after Lucy instead. She felt like she and Caspian should be together, it made sense to her. She would have to get used to it if they were going to get married soon. The thought of marriage always brought a smile to Susan's face that took a while to make go away. She felt that her life would soon be complete once they got married. Edmund respected Caspian and Lucy seemed to treat him like a big brother anyway. Now all she had to worry about was telling Peter and getting him to warm up to the idea. But that was something she wanted to take her time on.

"Were you watching me sleep?" Caspian asked as he kissed Susan on the forehead. The rose blooming on her cheeks confirmed his suspicions. He laughed and kissed her forehead again before kissing her on the mouth. "Don't be embarrassed."

"I can't help it, you look handsome even when you are sleeping," she responded before kissing his fingertips once more and snuggling against his chest. She looked around the room before looking out the window to see the sun rising. Her heart sank when she realized that she would have to, once more, keep her relationship with Caspian a secret. She didn't know how long she would have to pull this off, probably until she gets up the nerve to tell Peter...or after she gets married, whichever comes first. "You should go."

"Do I have to?" Caspian asked in a whine with a slight pout.

"Yes. I don't want Peter to come in here and see us like this," she responded before kissing him on the nose and then on the mouth. "We can spend some time in together later, I promise."

"All right," he said with a sigh, even though he didn't move.

"Aren't you going to go?" Susan questioned.

"Not without a kiss," he responded. She smiled coyly before leaning forward and pressing her lips against his. He held his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her against him. She smiled into the kiss as he ran his fingers through her soft brown hair.

"OK," Susan said once they pulled away, panting slightly. "Now you really have to go."

"Just one more," Caspian said as he pulled her against him once more.

* * *

"What have you learned so far?" Peter asked as he and Crystal started down the grassy slope. Peter had a rude awakening that morning when he realized that he and Crystal had fallen asleep in the same bed. He mentally kicked himself for letting it happen, especially because one of his siblings, Caspian, or a servant could have come in and seen them in that predicament. Crystal didn't seem bothered by it at all but Peter couldn't get it out of his mind.

"I've learned to use a sword," she responded. "Remember, that one time I fought Ed?" She asked as she glanced at him. He nodded and urged her to continue. "Susan was going to teach me archery, but she hasn't had any time lately, but I don't blame her. Being a queen must be hard." She stayed silent before asking, "Why won't you let Lucy fight?"

"Because it isn't her place to fight," he responded in a dismissive tone. He pulled Rhindon out of its sheath before pulling out another sword and held it out to her, the blade pointing towards himself. "For starters, I want you to attack me. Don't try to hurt me, but attack me. If you-"

Crystal swung her sword around and Peter quickly lifted his. The blades slammed against one another with a metallic clang. The sword quivered softly in Crystal's hands, humming as it shook there, making her arms tremble. When I thrust it down, it sailed sweetly through the air. When her blade met Peter's blade once more she pressed her weight against it, he matched her move and they stared at each other, trying to overpower the other.

A small smirk was on Peter's face while Crystal's face was void of emotions. Peter got enough strength to push her away before charging at her, blade held high. Crystal found an opening and stabbed at him. He made it out of the way in time as she spun around, swing her blade. He jumped back once more before bring his blade down. The two were caught in a sort of dance; nothing else around them mattered as they focused on trying to take down their foe. Their knuckles were white because their fingers were clamped on the handle.

"I must say I am impressed," Peter said as the two regarded each other.

"Why?" Crystal asked, making sure to keep her guard up as she repositioned her grip on the sword handle.

"You take to the sword like a duck to water," he responded.

"Oh, thank you, then," she said before charging at him. He turned to the side and grabbed her outstretched wrist. He twisted it as she let out a cry of pain and dropped the sword.

"You're very welcome," he said, his mouth right next to her ear. He looked down and blushed involuntarily when he noticed how close they were. He dropped her wrist before taking a step back and sliding Rhindon back into its holder. "You did well," he said as he cleared his throat. "I'm going to have to test you again though, just to make sure you're ready for any type of attack, mainly a surprise one, you have to be ready at all times." She nodded as she picked up her fallen sword before holding it out to them. She opened her mouth to say something when someone's applause. They looked at each other before looking around to see who it was. They relaxed a little when they saw Elvrond coming down the hill.

"If I may say something," he started. The two nodded. "You're too eager," he told Crystal. "You must analyze the situation before you make a move, or it may be your last."

"Thank you for the advice," she said with a nod.

"May I have a word with you? If you're not too busy that is, I don't want to interrupt your training session," Elvrond asked with a pleasant smile.

"Go ahead, sir," Peter told him. "I have to meet with the tailor anyway. Tell me if you see Edmund while you're out, please. I want to have a word with him."

"Sure," Crystal responded. He nodded before turning and walking up the slope to go back into the castle. Crystal turned to the raven haired king and asked somewhat nervously, "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Let's walk," Elvrond said as he placed a hand on the small of her back and led her forward. "I have to say, you remind me so much of my daughter."

"But...Edmund told me that you didn't have a family," Crystal said as she looked at the king in confusion.

"That is true, but I had a daughter before," he responded. "She was a beautiful thing. I lost my wife when she was born but I was glad she was able to give life to the beautiful little girl. She reminds me of you because of her determination. She was with me until she was two, by that time she was the most determined person I've ever met. She, in a way, made it her mission to be able to walk." He let out a sigh and the smile never left his face. "Because of the circumstances I had to let her go and let her live with another family that I saw would take care of her. Anyway, it's your determination that reminded me of her." He noticed the look on her face and said with a laugh, "It's a compliment, really."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that," she replied. "I was thinking about what Edmund told me."

"What is it that the young king has planted into your mind?" Elvrond asked as he pulled a bright orange flower off of a tree and held it out to her. She smiled before accepting it, the cautious feelings she once held in her immediately disappeared.

"He told me that you and I have the same necklace," she responded so suddenly he stopped walking. "And I wanted to know if it were true."

"You mean this one?" He asked as he lifted the chain that was around his neck, the same time she lifted hers. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was the exact same thing: a silver pendant that was embedded by an ocean blue jewel. The only thing that was different was the fact that there was writing in the u shape of the bottom of Elvrond's necklace. Crystal squinted to read what it said. "It says vox per diligo, power through love." Crystal's eyes lowered to the back of hers where she lightly traced the same Latin phrase that was etched into the back. "I think..." his voice made her look back up at him, into his bright blue eyes. "I think...you're my daughter."

* * *

**So, this is my Christmas present to you, my readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I really hate Isabella, and I'm the one writing her that way, lol. Please leave a review!**

**-Crystal**

**P.S. for those of you who read my Bittersweet Secret story, I'll be updating that next.**


	13. Family

**Chapter 13: Family**

Crystal stared at him as she let the words sink in. Her father...? There was no way that was possible. She studied his face, trying to see if she could see herself in him and she was surprised at what she saw. Their expressive blue eyes were the same, their jet black hair was the same, and their facial features were the same, although Crystal's features were softer.

"You...I...no, you can't be my father," Crystal said as she shook her head. "There's just no way."

"There is," Elvrond said with a nod. "We look the same, you can't even deny that."

"But...Edmund told me that the time in Narnia is different than the time at home," Crystal blurted out. "There is no way that you could be my father and I'm this young."

"I gave you up when you were two, to a woman that I allowed to stay in my kingdom. She wasn't from our world and I couldn't keep you here with the prospect of a new threat. I didn't want to think about losing you. When the woman said she was going to go back home I wanted her to take you with her."

"I...I don't...you can't..." Crystal muttered as she ran a hand through her hair.

"I'll give you some time," Elvrond told her. "I need to go check on the women anyway. Would you like me to walk you back?"

Crystal could only nod as Elvrond lead the way back to the castle. She was so shocked that she couldn't speak or think right anymore. There was no way that he was her father, she just couldn't let herself believe it, even if all of the signs were there. She hadn't realized that she was back at the castle until Edmund approached her.

"Are you ok? You don't look so well," he said as he gently gripped her elbow and walked her up the stairs. "Do you want something? I could get you something."

"I'm fine, Ed," she said as she pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Really, I am," she tried to convince him when she saw the unconvinced look on his face. "Is it just me, or is it quieter than usual around here?"

"About that: Isabella's gone and so is her father," Edmund announced as they entered the castle. "They were gone this morning. It's like they disappeared without a trace. She left a note to Peter though, which is really no surprise. Something about her saying that she'll be back for him to share the responsibility of the kingdom and she has to take care of something first. Personally, I'm praying that she doesn't come back any time soon." Crystal laughed as a broad grin spread across Edmund's face. "This way you can have your chance at him."

Crystal immediately stopped laughing. "What are you talking about?"

"It's no secret that you fancy my brother," Edmund replied, the smile never leaving his face. "You may not know it, but you act different around him than you act around the rest of us. It's like...you fight for his attention, especially when Isabella was here."

"I don't fight for your brother's attention," Crystal told him pointedly.

"Yes you do, and there's no problem with that, he's quite a catch and I'm not saying that because he's my brother. I have to warn you, he's not very bright when it comes to figuring out when a girl fancies him. If you keep being obvious like you are currently doing, he will eventually catch on."

"Edmund, shut up."

"Why? Because I'm right or because you won't admit it?" Edmund pressed.

"Because you're starting to annoy me," Crystal shot back before walking as fast as possible down the hall to get away from him.

He made a face as he ran a hand through his hair as he watched her in confusion. He was just teasing her; usually she could take a joke. He shook his head before suddenly taking off down the hall. He had just remembered that his brother wanted to talk to him about something. "Oh man, he's going to kill me," he muttered under his breath before checking the library. When he saw that Peter wasn't there he quickly checked Peter's bedroom before going into the meeting room. Peter was standing by the window, looking outside. Edmund stepped closer and saw that Peter was actually staring off into space, not really focusing on anything.

"Pete," Edmund called, breaking Peter's trance. Peter turned away from the window and gave Edmund a little smile before sitting down. Edmund followed his lead and sat down at the table. "So what's this important thing you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I just wanted to let you know something," Peter responded, suddenly feeling really nervous. Edmund raised an eyebrow and waited silently. "I know that I've been hard on you ever since Dad went off to war before. It seemed like I was coming down on you the most, because you acted out so much. Sometimes I found myself wishing that you weren't my brother."

"Was that the important thing you wanted to tell me?" Edmund asked dryly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No, just listen," Peter said with a chuckle. "When I thought that, I would automatically take it back because I realize that I've been taking you for granted."

"No you haven't," Edmund said as he shook his head. The way Peter was talking to him started to make him feel as uncomfortable as Peter looked.

"Please Ed," Peter said as he held up his hand. "Just let me finish. I have been taking you for granted. It never occurred to me how much you really meant to me until I saw you get stabbed by Jadis, and I almost lost you. You're not just my brother, I can honestly say you're my best friend and I need you to be able to do what I do. If you weren't here with me, doing these things by my side, I wouldn't feel right being High King. I...I just wanted you to know that."

"I'm not dying, am I?" Edmund asked as he squinted at Peter. Peter responded with a confused look. "You're saying this like a confession, like I'm about to die or something."

"Like I said, it's just something I wanted you to know," Peter responded as he stood. Edmund nodded as he, too, got to his feet. The brothers regarded each other, the weight of embarrassment pressing down on them like a wool blanket. A sharp rap on the door shattered the silence as the door opened and Susan hesitantly stepped inside the room.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked as she looked back and forth between Peter and Edmund.

"Not at all, Su," Peter responded with a soft smile. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes, actually. I would like to talk to you," she responded as she clasped her hands behind her back. "It's important. Take a walk with me?"

"Sure. Ed, go check on Lucy please," Peter said as he turned to his brother. Edmund opened his mouth to protest, thought better of it, and smiled a little before leaving the room.

"That was strange. I expected Edmund to go off," Susan commented as she watched her youngest brother move down the hall.

"He's grown up in the past couple of days," Peter said as he placed his hand on the small of Susan's back. He frowned when she flinched slightly before noticing the troubled look on his face. It only made him wonder what she had to talk to him about.


	14. A Royal Wedding? Maybe Two?

**Chapter 14: A Royal Wedding? Maybe Two?**

Peter picked up a rock and threw it as hard as he could. It landed with a dull _ker-plunk_ in the lake. Ripples floated out across the surface in rings which were broken up by the gentle breeze that blew across the surface. He was standing, leaning against the trunk of a tree while Susan was sitting in the shade of the tree, admiring the flowers that were around their feet.

Peter felt peace in the area, despite knowing that hostility was growing in the country. He knew that war was coming but he didn't want to dwell on that fact too much and ruin the peace. He blinked and looked down at Susan when he felt her staring at him.

"What is it?" He asked as he sat down next to her. He stretched his legs out in front of him and wrapped an arm around her shoulders so she could lean against him. "I know you brought me out here to tell me something so you might as well say it now, yeah?"

"Um, yeah," Susan responded as she looked out across the lake. She, like the rest of her family, knew that a war was coming; it was only a matter of time. She knew that it would be better to tell Peter about the wedding now before he had to go off and fight. She also wanted to tell him about her decision to stay behind this time. "I don't know if you've noticed, but the Narnians and the Telmarines are still having trouble connecting. They're still not comfortable with each other yet, especially now with the Rayuvian women in the castle."

"I have noticed that, actually," Peter admitted. "I'm working on it too. I don't think making them go to a ball would help, so I've asked some of the Narnian women and some of the Telmarine women to help look after some of the Rayuvian children, that way they would have a chance to bond with each other. Meanwhile, the men would be helping out our soldiers."

"There's that...but..." Susan took a deep breath and took the plunge. "Caspian and I thought of a different way to go about their peace."

"Oh really?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow. "What have you thought of?"

"Well..." Susan stalled. _C'mon Susan, you can do this_, she thought, _just tell him that you love Caspian and he loves you. He'll understand after he hears that. He'll understand that you're doing this for the goodness of the people of Cair Paravel._

"What is it, Su?" Peter asked as he gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Caspian and I thought...if a Narnian and a Telmarine pledged their love for each other in a marriage ceremony. If they can get married, then the rest of them could see that they can really live in peace with each other."

Peter stayed silent as Susan bit her lip. His gaze shifted to the top of the lake as he let out a slow breath, thinking about what she had told her. It was a good idea and they needed something cheerful to hold onto.

"That does sound like a good idea, Su," Peter said as he looked down at her. "I expect that you're going to help prepare?"

"Well, that's going to be pretty hard," Susan admitted.

"Of course it would be, you haven't planned a wedding before," Peter said with a chuckle. Susan offered a weak smile which instantly sent Peter into concern. "Su, what's really bothering you?"

"The wedding is going to be hard to plan because it's going to be _my_ wedding. I'm going to marry Caspian," Susan blurted out, making sure to avoid Peter's gaze. Peter's eyes widened as his mouth fell open in shock at her outburst. Susan turned her head as tears started to fall down her cheeks. _I knew Peter would react like this. Why did I tell him? Why? Why?_

Susan stiffened when she felt Peter hug her and rested his chin on her head. She started crying harder as he gently rocked her and muttered soothing words into her ear. "Don't cry, Su. There's nothing to cry about. A wedding is a good thing."

"But...Peter...you approve of this?" Susan asked as she looked at him with wide wet eyes.

"Susan, I knew that I would eventually have to let you go," Peter admitted with a sigh. "I was hoping it wouldn't be this soon, but I knew it was going to happen eventually. Remember, I had to go through this once during the Golden Age before we went back home the first time. It was only a matter of time when I would have to go through it again. Just know this: if Caspian does _anything_ to hurt you at all he's going to have to mess with Edmund and me."

"I understand Peter," Susan said as Peter reached forward and wiped her eyes. "I'm getting married," she whispered as her smile got bigger. "I'm getting married!" She couldn't help but squeal as Peter laughed. "I'm getting married! I'm getting married! I'm getting married!" Her smile faded. "Oh, there's so much to be done to prepare!"

"Susan, you have plenty of time to prepare," Peter told her as he stood and held his hands out. She took them and he pulled her to her feet. "Now, we must go back and tell everyone this wonderful news."

Susan took Peter's hand and together they started back up the hilly slope to go back to Cair Paravel. Susan kept asking for Peter's opinions on what she should have at the wedding: what flowers to choose, what style dress she should have, and where it should be held. By the time they made it back to the castle Susan had asked many questions that she couldn't find an answer to. "Go tell Caspian that I give my permission. Would you rather we tell everyone at the same time or would you like to go around telling people?" Peter asked as they walked through the Great Hall.

"I want to tell them," Susan responded as she bounced on her toes.

"Ok," Peter chuckled before hugging her. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she replied before standing on tip-toes to kiss his cheek. She gave his hands a little squeeze before moving down the hall as fast as she could.

"Edmund!" She cried out happily, causing him to jump and drop the book he was reading before he found himself being crushed against her. "How are you this fine day?"

"Hungry," he responded. "I was on my way to the kitchen when you decided to give me a heart attack." He made a face and shoved her away from him before picking up his dropped book. "What's gotten you so happy?"

"I'm engaged!" Susan responded as she bounced up and down on her toes once more.

"To do what?" Edmund asked as he blinked. Ordinarily Susan would have scolded him for making a joke out of a serious matter but she laughed. "Susan, you're starting to scare me."

"Do you happen to know where Lucy or Crystal is?" Susan asked. She didn't wait for Edmund to answer before she held up the front of her dress and started down the hall. Edmund turned towards Peter and gave him a questioning look. Peter merely shrugged before motioning Edmund closer.

"You agreed to this?" Edmund asked.

"Why do you sound so surprise?" Peter questioned in confusion.

"Well, it could be because you and Caspian didn't hesitate to draw swords on each other after that night raid on Miraz's castle," Edmund pointed out as he scratched his head with his free hand.

"We've had our differences, I'll admit, but I respect Caspian and I believe that he's the only one that could truly make Susan happy," Peter said with a shrug.

"Who are you and what have you done to my brother?" Edmund demanded.

"I've had a lot to think about," Peter responded with a shrug.

"Here's another thing to think about. Elvrond is Crystal's father," Edmund said as the two walked down the hallway. Peter's mouth fell open slightly. "I had the same reaction when she told me. But it makes sense. I mean, they _do_ look a lot alike. Their facial structures are the same, their hair color is the same, and their eyes are the same."

"I just...I don't...I don't think he should have told her," Peter sighed.

"Why not?" Edmund asked.

"She wouldn't want to go home, now," Peter responded. "You know as well as I do that whenever we finish here we're going to have to go back to Finchley. Now that she knows that he is her father, _if_ he is actually her father, then we're going to have a hard time convincing her to come back home with us."

"I see what you mean," Edmund agreed. "But you can't blame him. He's gone years without knowing where his daughter was. It's not like we can bring him with us, either. Who knows how fast he'd age there? We might as well let her be happy with him before we have to break the news to her. When we do, I suggest you tell her."

"Me? Why me?' Peter demanded.

"Because the only thing that would happen if I told her is that we'd get into a fight. You know we would," Edmund pointed out. "Besides, she always listens to what you have to say, for reasons that are unknown to me." The two had walked out to the Great Hall and Edmund swung his arm out to stop Peter as his eyes rested on someone. "No way! _She_ cannot be back! Tell me I'm dreaming!"

Peter didn't reply but kept his eyes locked on the woman who had rested her eyes on him and let out a high pitched shriek. "Peter! Oh, I'm _so_ glad to see you!" In the next instant Isabella was hugging him tight as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Isabella," Peter gasped before he gently pushed her away from him. "Where...what happened to you? One night you were here and the next morning you were gone. I sent people out looking for you."

"Oh Peter!" Isabella sobbed. "They kidnapped me. They took me away and held me captive. I didn't know what I'd do. I eventually ran away and your guards found me after a while."

"They took who? Who, Isabella? Who held you captive?" Peter asked as he gripped her by her shoulders.

"The Beasts," Isabella whimpered, as if one was standing right behind her.

"What'd they do to you?" Edmund spoke up.

""They made me cook and clean for them. They made me care for them. They said if I didn't do it they would kill my father. We got separated as we ran away; I don't know where he is now. He could be near the castle, but..." she covered her mouth with her hand as her shoulders started to shake.

"It'll be ok," Peter said as he gave her a little hug. He looked up and locked eyes with a servant. "Please take Isabella and give her a warm bath. She's had a rough time," he said as he gently pushed Isabella towards the kentauride

"My father-" Isabella started.

"I'll make sure he is found and brought back here," Peter told her.

"Thank you, so much. For everything," she said with a curtsy. She walked over to him and stood up on her tip toes before placing a small kiss on his cheek. She gave him a smile before following the kentauride out the room.

Peter turned to face Edmund's hard gaze. "I don't think I want to know why you are looking at me like that."

"I'm going to tell you anyway," Edmund pointed out. "You can't be falling for that."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't believe that Isabella was taken from the castle," Edmund replied. "With the amount of guards we have protecting this place surely whoever tried to come in would have been caught."

"Did you forget what happened to Crystal? She was strangled in her sleep. If one of them were able to get in to do that to her, then they could have easily taken Isabella," Peter told him. Edmund remained silent as he regarded his brother. He has never seen Peter that worked up before. "We all ready have many guards roaming the lawns and the castle. We're training the men for any battle that may occur in the future."

"There really isn't much else we can do," Edmund admitted. "You know that, Peter. Stop stressing over the security. We're as safe as we can get."

"That's what bothers me." Peter let out a slow breath to keep himself from yelling at his brother. "If those Beasts could get inside the castle, then that means Lucy isn't as safe as I want her to be."

"Peter, wake up!" Edmund snapped. "Lucy isn't a child anymore, stop treating her like one! She has a mind of her own and she can take care of herself. She is a smart girl and knows when something is right and something is wrong. She has a lot of potential that you won't let her display because you're scared that you won't always be there to protect her. You won't, Peter. Eventually she's going to grow up and get married and live her own life. You can't shelter her any longer. You have to take a few steps back and let her make her own mistakes."

Peter felt like he had been slapped in the face. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that Edmund was right. He knew that he was protecting Lucy more than he usually would, but she was his little sister. He always felt the need to protect her as they grew up. He always felt like he needed to shield her from the dangers of the world. He wanted to her to know that, no matter what, he would always be there for her.

"I...I'm sorry," Edmund struggled to get out when he noticed the hurt look on Peter's face. "I didn't mean to..."

"No, I need that," Peter said as he held up his hand to stop Edmund from talking. "Really, I did. I need to go speak with Lucy, if you happen to know where she is."

"Her room," Edmund replied.

Peter nodded his thanks before leaving the room. He hated how awkward the two were with each other now and he didn't know how he would be able to fix it. Edmund telling Peter off really put things in perspective for Peter. He knew that he was protecting Lucy, but he didn't know he was being _over_protective of her. He just wanted to make sure that Lucy was never in a situation that she was so vulnerable that she could get hurt. Is that so wrong?

Peter found himself standing in front of Lucy's bedroom door. He lifted his hand and knocked on it, waiting for her to answer. The door swung open and Lucy stood there, smiling at him. "Is something wrong?" She asked, her smile fading slightly when she studied the look on his face. He didn't say anything but stepped forward and pulled her to him in a tight hug. She instantly wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight as she rested her forehead on his chest.

"I want to apologize, Lu," Peter said once they pulled away from each other.

"Apologize for what?" Lucy asked in confusion as they stepped into her room and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"For protecting you," Peter replied. "I mean protecting you too much. I guess I was blind to the fact that I wouldn't let you grow up, so to speak. Edmund helped me realize that I needed to give you space to let you grow on your own."

"Don't feel bad, Peter," Lucy said as she took his hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Really, don't. You were doing what comes natural to you. Don't beat yourself up because you are worried about your sister's well being. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes." She let out a breath. "Our lives were so hectic before all of this; you just wanted to make something remain the same, right?" Peter nodded. "I don't blame you. Sometimes I wish I hadn't found Narnia. But then I think that I'm lucky to have found a place that's better than any dream I've ever had. And this is reality."

"You're way too smart for your own good," Peter mused.

"Did you hear about Susan's marriage?" Lucy asked suddenly.

"I did," Peter confirmed.

"She asked me to be her maid of honor!" Lucy announced with a proud smile. "Well, co-maid of honor. She doesn't want me to get stressed so half of the job is Crystal's too, but a maid of honor! I always imagined I'd be older when this happened."

"Yes, but now you'll remember it longer," Peter pointed out as he stood. "Don't hesitate to ask for help. I don't want you to stress out over this."

"Ok, I won't. Don't worry."

Peter hugged Lucy once more before leaving the room. He gently closed the door behind himself and turned around, only to jump in surprise to see Isabella standing there, tears slipping down her face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to listen in on your conversation," Isabella said as she wiped her eyes.

"What's wrong, Isabella?" Peter asked as he reached out to hold her. "What is it? What's troubling you?"

"I was just listening to you talking to Lucy," Isabella said between her gasps. "You're such a wonderful person, Peter. You're noble, fair, generous, kind, caring...all that I want in a future husband. I've been with other men to see if they were really right for me...but they're not you. I want to be with you, Peter. I want to be your High Queen. I want to be by your side through the good and the bad times. I want to be there for you."

Peter gaped at her, wondering if he heard things right. Did she propose to him? Could you count that as a proposal? Did he want to marry her? Did he feel the same way for her if he felt anything at all?

"I...I have to go now," Peter mumbled before letting go of her and walking as quickly as he could down the hallway.

"Typical Peter, running away from a confrontation with a girl," Crystal commented in a teasing tone as he turned to see her leaning against a doorway. "You're such a boy, you know that?"

"Glad to see you're getting a kick out of this."

"I enjoyed seeing you run away like a scared little boy, if that's what you mean." Crystal studied his face. "Man, you didn't even crack a smile. What's goin' on in that head of yours?"

"I don't know what Isabella went through, but it had to be a lot to get her to...propose like that," Peter stated after a couple of seconds of silence. "But why me? I haven't even been back for long and she wants to marry me."

"It's because you're a catch, Peter," Crystal replied. She hoped the edge in her tone was hidden but figured it wasn't when Peter gave her an odd look. She silently stepped back into her room and shut the door.

"Women." Peter sighed.


	15. It Started Out as a Feeling

**Chapter 15: It Started Out as a Feeling**

Edmund could feel that something in the castle wasn't right as soon as he woke up the next morning. After a long day of training the night before his body felt sore and weighed down and the last thing he wanted to do was move. The fact that Isabella was back was also grinding on his nerves. The only thing that was on her mind was her wedding with Peter, she didn't seem to care that her father still hadn't been found. Not only that, but she decided that she had to always be with Peter.

"Once I become High Queen of Narnia Peter is going to rely on me and I'm just letting him know that I'm here," Isabella had explained as she got her dress fitted. She wanted Edmund there for his opinion on the dress because she didn't want Peter to see it before their wedding. Edmund, who was leaning against the wall with an annoyed look on his face, had enough.

"You're also letting us know that you're an annoying little-"

Edmund was interrupted by the door flying open and slamming against the wall, causing Isabella to whip her head around to see who had come in the room. Her eyes widened and she let out a high pitched squeal when she saw who it was.

"Amelia! Evlyn!" Isabella cried out as she dropped down from the stool she was standing on to reach them. The Telmarine woman that was getting ready to stick a pin in her dress sighed and pushed back a stray piece of hair as she looked over at Edmund, silently pleading with him. He nodded slightly as he kept his eyes on Isabella as the woman smiled and edged her way out of the room. "What're you girls doing here?"

"We heard that you were getting married," Amelia explained. "You know you can't get married without us there. We have to be your bridesmaids after all." Her eyes shifted from Isabella to Edmund. "You're not marrying _him_ are you?" She asked with an air of disgust.

"No, I'm marrying Peter, remember," Isabella said as she glanced at Edmund before turning back to the two girls. "I need this wedding to be as big as possible. Peter's sister is getting married too, but I want everyone to remember _my_ wedding."

Edmund's fingers twitched as he fought from spitting out what first came to mind. He really didn't understand why Peter agreed on marrying her. She was selfish and wanted nothing more than to be married to him just for the name of being High Queen. Peter shocked them all when he announced that Susan and Caspian were getting married and when he announced that he and Isabella were getting married.

"Why are you doing this?" Edmund demanded when he cornered Peter as he tried to leave the Great Hall, but Edmund made sure that he couldn't leave until he got some answers.

"Because," Peter replied.

"Because why?" Edmund demanded. "You can't possibly have a good reason for you to want to be with her. She's putting on an act! She's not that helpful at all. All she does is boss everyone around and whine until she gets her way."

"I want to be with her," Peter told him.

"Tell me, do you love her?" Edmund demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest and held onto his brother's gaze. "If you want to be with her there's at least got to me some love you feel for her. If not, then you're making the biggest mistake of your life."

"You're my brother; you're supposed to support my decision."

"I'm going to support whatever decision you make, you know that. I just want you to know that I think you're marrying her for all the wrong reasons."

"If that's all you have to say, training begins in five minutes."

Peter had worked Edmund hard that day, He didn't hold back, which resulted in Edmund getting a couple of close calls. He walked away with a couple of scratches that would easily be tended to, but Edmund couldn't help but think that Peter was really trying to hurt him because of what he said.

In the midst of Isabella talking to Amelia and Evlyn, Edmund slipped out of the room unnoticed before he lost his mind. The only thing that was going on at the castle was wedding plans and it was starting to get on his nerves. Not because the attention switched to Peter and Susan, but because that's the only thing on their minds and they aren't worried about the new threat or the fact that Aslan is still missing.

"Is Lucy here?" Edmund asked to Susan's bedroom door that was open slightly. He knew that she was also trying on her dress and getting it fitted.

"The garden probably," Susan called back.

"Take me with you!" Crystal shouted from inside of the room before she practically knocked Edmund over in her escape. "Man, I can't stand this wedding stuff any longer! Four days! Four days we had to deal with this."

"At least you aren't related to them," Edmund sighed as the two started down the hall. "I'm happy for Susan, but I think Peter has lost his mind marrying a girl like Isabella. There's nothing about her to like but Peter says he wants to be with her anyway. I don't understand it."

"Maybe he can't control it," Crystal suggested. Edmund gave her an odd look. "What if he's being controlled or something? It's the only explanation for Peter _wanting_ to be with that girl."

"There is something strange about Isabella. I've had this feeling about her since she first came to the castle," Edmund admitted, flinching by how bright the sun was once they stepped outside. "There was something about her that didn't sit right with me and now, after seeing all that's happened, that feeling grew. She doesn't seem to care that her father is gone and no one can find him. That's not right. If I ever found out that my dad was missing and no one could find him then..." he stopped his sentence, trying to suppress the feeling of sadness that rose in him like the tide. He forced the thought out of his head and cleared his throat. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, even if it kills me."

"Are you sure Peter hasn't gotten there yet?" Crystal asked. Edmund knew she was trying to make a joke but he didn't even crack a smile. "Wow. Not even a smile."

"I don't want to have that witch as my new sister. Imagine what she'd do to Lucy."

"Yes?" She asked as she lifted her head. She was kneeling by a bed of daisies; a trowel was in her hand. James was kneeling beside her, holding onto a daisy that they were going to plant. "Edmund, did you need me?" She asked.

Edmund shook his head. "I was telling Crystal that Isabella being our new sister would be a bad idea."

"Wait wait wait," James said as he held up his hand. "You're telling me that King Peter is going to marry Isabella?" He asked with wide eyes. Edmund nodded. "No, he can't do that!"

"That's what we were talking about. She's only doing this to run Cair Paravel," Edmund told him.

"She's not trying to run Cair Paravel," James said as he shook his head. "She's trying to take over Narnia!" He quickly slapped his hand over his mouth as his eyes widened; giving away the fact that he said something that he shouldn't have said.

"What did you just say?" Edmund asked quietly.

"I...I didn't say anything," James muttered as he looked down, avoiding Edmund's gaze. Edmund knelt in front of James and lifted his chin. James trembled in fear as Edmund locked eyes with him.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" Edmund repeated, slowly.

"Isabella's trying to take over Narnia?" Lucy questioned James. James's eyes shifted from Edmund, to Lucy, to Crystal, and back to Edmund. His lip trembled as he nodded.

"Don't be scared, I just need some answers," Edmund said as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it out to James. James nodded and blew his nose before letting out a breath.

"Isabella's powerful," he admitted. "More powerful than she lets on. She has control over people that you wouldn't believe. She rules the entire kingdom of Mesentar even though she is a princess. Lord Auren lets her do whatever she feels like doing. She wants power and she won't rest until she gets it. Once she hard that King Peter was back, she knew if she married him then she would get the power she wanted. She won't rest until she becomes High Queen over all Queens in Narnia."

"Wait a second," Crystal spoke up, causing all eyes to turn to her. "After that...that demon came into my room and tried to kill me Isabella disappeared..."

Lucy suddenly gasped. "You don't think she's controlling them, do you?"

"It's hard to say, but it does make sense now," Edmund said as he stood. "But what would cause her to want so much power?"

"She wants to avenge her mother's death," James replied.

"Who was her mother?"

* * *

"Do you boys really know what you're getting yourselves into?" Elvrond asked once Peter and Caspian had sat down across from him at the large oak table.

"I'm marrying the woman I was destined to be with," Caspian replied in a confident tone. "There is no one else I would rather be with, even if we are from different times."

"And you, Peter?" Elvrond asked with raised eyebrows.

"Isabella's the one I have to be with," was all that came out of Peter's mouth.

"You should _want_ to be with her," Elvrond pointed out as he folded his hands on the table. "I just wanted to let you know that you're going to have even more responsibilities now, especially when it comes to the time when you have to bear children to keep your reign living. Then, your attention will switch from keeping your kingdom safe to keeping your wife and your child safe from predators. You're going to have to make decisions that will impact your lives in one way or another."

"I understand what you're saying," Peter told him. "I'm sorry, but I have to cut this talk short. I have to-" He stopped in the middle of his sentence when the door was flung open and it slammed against the opposite wall. "Edmund, what is your problem?" Peter demanded as he stood and moved around the table to reach his brother.

"Peter, you can't marry Isabella," Edmund replied as Lucy rushed into the room after Edmund.

"You said you'd support whatever decision I make," Peter pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to like it," Edmund shot back. "You can't marry her, Peter. She's trying to take over Narnia and she's using you to get there. Once you're married, she's going to change everything and I won't allow it. I've been patient with Isabella and I let her have many chances that she hasn't deserved. I'm putting my foot down. If you marry her...I won't be at your wedding."

"Edmund, I _need_ you to be there. You're my brother," Peter whispered.

"I'm not going to be there if you insist on marrying Isabella. She's bad news, Peter, why can't you see that?" Edmund demanded, frustration rising inside of him. He tried to suppress it but it came too fast for him. "Why can't you see that you're running your own future? You're going to end up getting yourself killed, you're so hard headed!"

"What about you?" Peter shot back.

"What about me?" Edmund questioned. He saw Caspian rise out of his seat, as if he were going to stop them from fighting. Edmund held up his hand to stop him. He knew that this was the only time that he and Peter would ever get anything out in the open.

"You didn't seem to care that you were risking our lives when you decided to help The White Witch!" Peter knew he crossed the line when he saw the hurt reflected in Edmund's eyes. Edmund's jaw clenched as he swallowed. Peter wanted to take back what he said, but he knew that he created damage that would be hard for Edmund to get over. He was still suffering from what he did, and Peter knew that too. "Edmund-" Peter started as he touched Edmund's arm.

"Don't!" Edmund hissed as he pulled his arm away and left the room.

"If a woman is making you two fight like this...then she isn't worth it, Peter," Lucy spoke up, her voice trembling slightly. "Family comes first, you told us that...but I don't think you even believe in what you say. You're yelling at Edmund when all he is doing is being a good brother and trying to warn you about the girl that you're going to marry. He's trying to make you realize what you're doing, you're splitting us apart. I usually don't think ill of anyone, but I do not like Isabella at all and I don't want her to be my new sister. I don't want this to be the case...but if you marry her, you're going to split this family apart." She sniffed. "I don't want that to happen, Peter."

"Cair Paravel wouldn't be the same, Peter," Caspian reached his side. "I can see how this is hurting your family and I know that it is the last thing that you want to happen to you.

"Listen to them, Peter. You've never had a doubt about what they had to say before," Elvrond added. He had been watching the situation unfold silently, waiting for the right time to add his input.

"We have proof about the real Isabella," Lucy added as she turned her head and nodded. James hesitantly walked into the room, his head bent. "He knows all about her and her plan to take over Narnia."

* * *

"Ouch! What are you doing? You're supposed to be pinning the dress, not me!" Isabella yelled in the Telmarine woman's face.

"I'm sorry, Princess," the woman apologized as she bowed her head. "I can't pin right if you're moving around."

"I wouldn't move around if you'd stop pricking me!" Isabella snapped as the woman sighed. "Anyway," she continued as she pushed her hair out of her face, "I have to do everything by myself because no one wants to help me plan anything so I was hoping you two would help me."

"Of course we would, Isa," Amelia replied with a big smile. "As long as you help us find someone to marry."

"One of you could marry Edmund, that way we could be sisters," Isabella suggested. "Then you can get him to finally leave Peter alone. Once we're married, I'm going to have to be his top priority; he can't have time for his lame family." She whipped her head around when the door swung open and she glared when Crystal stepped into the room. "What're you doing here?" She growled. "If you're thinking of stopping my wedding, you can forget it."

"I'm not the one who's going to be stopping your wedding," Crystal replied. She turned to the Telmarine woman and said, "You may leave now."

"Thank you, Lady Crystal," she said with a curtsy before rushing out of the room.

"Wait a second, I need her!" Isabella hissed as she dropped down from her stool, holding the front of her dress up in her hands.

"You're not going to boss anyone around any longer, _Princess_," Crystal said as she held out her hand to stop Isabella from leaving the room.

"We'll just see about that," Isabella replied. "Once Peter and I get married I'm banishing you from Cair Paravel. I don't care if you're 'friends' with them either."

"That must be in your dreams because Peter's not going to marry you."

"Are you going to stop me?" Isabella asked in a challenging tone as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't have to." Crystal accepted the challenge. "Peter knows." Isabella's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "He knows what you're trying to do and he won't stand for it. You'll be banished from this castle in the next few minutes."

"He knows?" Isabella repeated. Crystal nodded. "Really?" Crystal nodded again. "You could at least do me the honor of telling me how you found out."

"James told us," Crystal replied. Evlyn gasped before covering her mouth with her hand and Amelia gave her a dark look. Isabella rounded on Evlyn and gave her an evil look.

"_You're_ trying to stop my wedding too? My best friend?" She demanded as she stomped over to Evlyn. Evlyn kept her head down as Amelia shook hers in disbelief. "Are you in on this too?" She demanded as she rounded on Amelia.

"No, Isa. You know I'm on your side!" Amelia said as she held up her hand as if swearing an oath.

"Since day one you've been in my way." Isabella whirled around and stomped over to Crystal. "You've had this coming to you." She brought back her hand and swung it forward. Before Crystal could react a loud _smack_ echoed across the room as her head snapped to the side and her cheek stung. Isabella smirked before it quickly slid off her face when Crystal grabbed her hand and twisted her wrist. "Ouch! Get off me, you wench! That hurts!" Isabella screamed as she dropped to a knee.

"Don't. Touch me. _Ever_. Again_!_" Crystal growled as she squeezed Isabella's wrist tighter. The pendant that hung around her neck seemed to get colder the longer she held onto Isabella's wrist. Amelia tried to rush over to her but Evlyn held her back.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" Amelia shouted as she started to fight Evlyn. Their shouting caused a loud commotion and brought Peter rushing in with guards by his side.

"Peter," Isabella cried as fake tears fell down her cheeks. "She's gone crazy." She pointed at Crystal with her free hand."

"Crystal, let go," Peter ordered. Crystal looked over at him; his eyes widened when he saw that her eyes were glossed over and seemed to be pupil less. "Crystal!" he called. She blinked and her eyes returned to normal. She let go of Isabella and took a step away from her, looking down at her hands as she breathed heavily. "What's going on in here?" His voice echoed through the room and Isabella flinched at the harsh tone. "You are acting unladylike, which wasn't something I expected out of you Isabella."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Crystal demanded, snapping her attention to Peter.

"Crystal, not now!" He snapped. "Isabella, I've been told some serious things about you and my thoughts of you have changed. I will not marry you and I will not let you endanger anyone in my castle. I hate to say this, but you are banished from Cair Paravel." His lip twitched slightly when he saw her face crumble before it was replaced with a look of fury.

"This is all because of _her_ isn't it?" She demanded as she pointed in Crystal's direction and got to her feet. "Or is it because of her and her lame brother?"

"It doesn't matter, Isabella," Peter replied. "Just leave the castle now."

"No." Isabella stood firm in her shoes.

"Guards." The two centaurs clopped forward and grasped Isabella by her upper arms. "I'm sorry, Evlyn, but you're included on this. Lucy explained to me that you were trying to stop her this entire time."

"I understand," Evlyn said as she bowed her head. "I'm sorry for the trouble, King Peter. I really am." She lifted her head and walked out of the room with the guards by her side. Isabella's screams could still be heard down the hall.

"I want to apologize." The words sounded so foreign to Peter that he hadn't realized Crystal was the one who said it until she repeated it.

"For what?" He questioned.

"For this," Crystal said as she waved her arm. "If I had listened to you and not gotten myself into this, we wouldn't be in this mess and your life would be a lot simpler."

"You listening to me would be the end of the world," Peter commented, smiling a little. "If you hadn't gotten yourself into this than I wouldn't have found out about Isabella's plan and stopped Narnia from being destroyed. Besides-" he paused to look at her red cheek "-my life would be pretty boring without you in it."

"I'm not going to forget that 'lady' comment," Crystal told him in an annoyed tone, although a smile was working its way onto her face.

"About that. Crystal, I-" Peter's sentence was cut off when the sound of glass breaking filled the air along with screams from many woman. Hand on his sword, Peter instantly raced out of the room, Crystal was hot on his heels. They didn't even make it down the stairs the entire way before they heard the metallic sound of swords clashing together.

"Peter!" Susan shouted from across the room. He looked up and saw her firing arrow after arrow from behind Caspian as he held off the attackers.

"Go help Edmund," Peter told Crystal. As he ran in Susan's direction, Peter pulled out his sword and slashed at any man who stood in his way. He managed to duck before a sword that was aiming for his head connected with his skull. He stabbed the man in the stomach as he continued running towards his sister. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as he fought harder than he has ever fought before, only because this proved against his solid thought that Cair Paravel was the safest place in Narnia. "Susan." He reached out and grabbed her arm before turning so he and Caspian were protecting her from the intruders. "Susan, what happened?" He called over his shoulder as he spun his sword so the force of it made his enemy let go of theirs, leaving him vulnerable.

"Isabella came storming into the Great Hall and the next thing we knew they came in from the windows and the doors," Susan replied.

"I don't think we can hold them off," Caspian commented. As he continued to fight Peter scanned the room to locate Elvrond, Crystal, and Edmund fighting. "Turns out Isabella's father is the leader of the attacks and-"

"Where's Lucy?" Peter shouted over the noise.

"They took her!" Susan shouted back.


	16. Aslan's Return

**Chapter 16: Aslan's Return**

"Peter, you have to get some sleep," Susan commented as she entered the strategy room. "You too, Edmund."

"We can't go to sleep," Edmund replied in a tired, raspy voice. He blinked rapidly to keep his eyes open before he let out a big yawn. "Not until we know where they took Lucy."

"Being tired isn't going to help if you can't think straight," Susan pointed out as she placed a hand on Edmund's shoulder. Normally he would've shrugged it off, not accepting someone touching him, but he didn't do anything. That reaction was what made Susan even more worried than she was all ready. "Off to bed, now," she ordered as she pulled Edmund onto his feet. "You too, Peter," she added and pulled Peter onto his feet. "The servants have some herbal tea ready for you two in your rooms to help you get to sleep."

"Where is Caspian?" Peter asked once the siblings stepped into the hallway.

"He and Crystal are patrolling the grounds with the guards once more. They're going to go to sleep soon too. Trying to do something without sleep isn't going to help you make wise decisions. You need to be well rested."

"We'd lose too much time," Peter muttered, leaning against the doorway from exhaustion. "The trail will be lost if we stop now. We need to figure out where they are and take Lucy back now. They won't expect it; we'll have the element of surprise on our side."

"Peter, listen to what you're saying! You want to charge into the night? You don't know what's out there. You could get hurt and no one would know where you were. Also, what if you took a bunch of guards with you? You'd be risking their lives. You did that before, remember? When we attacked Miraz's castle?"

Peter's face turned to stone once those words left Susan's mouth. She mentally kicked herself for bringing that subject up in the first place. She knew that Peter constantly blamed himself for the death of their friends during their Night Raid of Miraz's castle. She knew that it kept him up at night most nights because he felt that it was his fault that they died and he felt like a coward because he didn't stay. He would never own up to the fact that he made a mistake that killed his own men, especially when Caspian bruised his ego.

That's what worried Susan the most. Peter usually accepted his faults right when something went wrong, but the one mistake he did make that cost people's lives he couldn't seem to let go. He became more reckless because of it.

"Actually," Edmund spoke up, only pausing to yawn once more. "Susan's right." Peter and Susan stared at Edmund. Edmund never uttered those words before. To hear them now was like he was speaking a foreign language. "We need sleep. We shouldn't rush into anything; we might put Lucy's life in jeopardy."

"How?" Peter demanded.

"Say they find out that we're going after them to get Lucy. They could kill her before we get there or something," Edmund replied. "We're not going anywhere tonight," he added firmly, shocking Peter.

"I must talk to Peter first, young ones."

The three turned around to see Aslan calmly walking down the hall; Caspian and Crystal were on either side of him.

"Aslan," Peter, Edmund, and Susan all gasped in unison before rushing over to him.

"Are you all right, Aslan?" Susan asked, running a hand over the top of his mane. Aslan blinked his reply. "Where have you been, Aslan? You had us all worried."

"That does not matter right now, Susan," she replied. "I must speak to Peter immediately. The rest of you, get some rest. You have a lot of work to do in the morning."

"Yes Aslan."

Susan, Caspian, Edmund, and Crystal walked down the hallway as Aslan nudged Peter into the strategy room with his nose. Peter walked back into the room and sat down in his chair, glancing down at the map that Edmund had spent the last two hours drawing and putting detail into. Aslan peered at Peter from across the table as Peter rolled up the map and tied it with a string.

"King Peter, I feel like you earned your right to some information I've kept from you," Aslan stated. Peter looked at the lion with raised eyebrows, waiting for Aslan to continue with what he was going to say. "But it's not my place." He turned towards the door as it swung open and Elvrond stepped into the room. He took his place in a seat so he was looking across the table at Peter.

"You understand why I had to lie to keep my daughter's life safe, correct?" Elvrond asked, catching Peter off guard. Peter tried to form words but he could only nod, he was too tired to actually try to form a sentence. "Now, I need you to lie to protect her too." Peter opened his mouth but Elvrond held up his hand to stop him. "You will understand everything in a moment. I told you before how I lost my wife. What you don't know is that my wife, Queen Davina...was Mother Nature."

"Mother Nature?" Peter repeated. "Like...dealing with rain and weather?"

"Mother Nature, King Elvrond's wife, was a guardian, protector, and Queen of the land," Aslan spoke up. "She was my partner; she helped me keep the peace. She was struck down by Jadis during her rise to power, the very same day she gave birth to Lady Crystal. Queen Davina's powers have been passed down to Crystal. They are strong powers that will not be awakened until a dire situation, but the results could end in destruction because she has no control over them powers yet."

"Ok...where do I come into this?" Peter asked as he looked back and forth at the two.

"I need for you to protect Lady Crystal," Aslan replied. "In case something happens to me, I need to know that you will make sure she is safe. She is to be my partner once the Beasts are defeated."

Peter nodded. "I will. I promise that I'll protect her," he told them both.

"She can't know about her powers, not yet. I don't feel that she's mature enough to handle it," Elvrond added. "She will know when the time comes, but for now I need to make sure that she has time to get accustomed to what's going to happen to her, especially with Isabella out there becoming stronger by the day. Stay on your guard, Peter."

"I will," Peter promised. "I'll protect her. You have my word."

"You may go to sleep now, Peter."

"Thank you, Aslan."

Peter struggled to get to his feet as drowsiness settled in and took over. He rubbed his tired eyes while thinking about what Elvrond and Aslan had revealed to him. It was still a shock to him knowing that the girl he grew up with wasn't even from England. Now knowing that she was destined to help protect Narnia and he couldn't even say anything about it made their situation seem worse. He wanted to tell Crystal, to warn her about what might happen and that she shouldn't be afraid, but he knew he couldn't, which was bad. He hated seeing his family and his friends have to suffer or go through something alone, but he knew he didn't have a choice but to keep his mouth shut.

"Are you all right, Pete?" Peter was so startled that he flinched. He turned around to see Crystal coming towards him.

"Yes," Peter replied, rubbing his face to try and mask how tired he was.

"We'll find Lucy. Some guards say that they took off in the direction of the Telmarine castle," Crystal continued. "If they are indeed there, Caspian know many ways in so we can have the element of surprise on our side."

"That's too risky." Peter dismissed Crystal's idea almost immediately. "They'd be expecting it. Isabella's not dumb, she knows that you used live there and she's going to make sure every entrance is sealed. Our best bet is to just...go up to her and ask what she wants in return for Lucy."

"What if it's you?" Crystal asked, stopping Peter by grabbing his arm and turning him to her so he had to look at her. "What if all she wants in return for Lucy is power over Narnia? Would you really grant that to her?"

"I have to get Lucy back," he replied in a raspy voice, looking at her but looking through her. "No matter what it takes, I have to get her back."


	17. A Horn, a Captor, and a Memory

**Chapter 17: A Horn, a Captor, and a Memory**

Peter started down the hallway.

"Peter! You can't give up your throne!" Crystal protested as she followed him.

"If that's what she wants, I'll give it to her to get Lucy back."

"Peter, you can't-"

He whirled around so fast that Crystal almost crashed into him. "Stop trying to get me to change my mind! You don't have any family so you'd understand how I feel!" His words were sharp, but it was the fierce look in Peter's eyes that made it feel like she had been slapped in the face. Both of them weren't even aware that Edmund had stepped out into the hallway until he spoke up.

"Fighting isn't going to help us find Lucy," he commented. "We need to get a good night's sleep and talk about this in the morning. Right now, Pete, you aren't making any sense and you're just walking right into Isabella's demands, which is what she wants. We have to find a way around her plan and get Lucy back without giving anything up in the process."

Peter ignored him and kept his eyes locked on Crystal. "This is why you should've gone home when I told you to! You don't know anything about this world. You have no idea what goes on here, all you care about is yourself. You do more harm than good. Why don't you just go home? You're not needed here. "

Edmund gasped and tried to cover it up but it rang in the empty corridor. Edmund had never heard Peter raise his voice like that, to anyone. It was like Peter's face was set in stone: his eyes were hard like blue marbles and the frown on his face looked like it had been carved in. It was so hard to see Peter's face that he had to change his gaze to Crystal's stiff posture.

"Fine," Crystal muttered, her back still turned to Edmund. "I'll leave. Have fun messing up your life."

"You all ready did that for me," Peter shot back, coolly.

The two glared at each other before turning around and, simultaneously, stomping down opposite ends of the hallway. Edmund looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out which one he should chase down first. He decided to follow Peter before trying to convince Crystal to change her mind.

"Pete! Peter!" Edmund shouted as he ran after his brother. He didn't care that he was yelling loud enough to wake up almost the entire castle; he had to get his brother's attention. "Peter, stop!" He finally reached Peter and grabbed his arm to stop him. "What the bloody hell was that about?"

"She doesn't understand," Peter muttered. "She doesn't understand anything."

"She makes a lot of sense, though," Edmund tried to get through his head. "You're willing to throw away your throne for Lucy. She wouldn't want you to do that." Edmund let out a breath before he took the plunge. "You may not have noticed, but Lucy isn't the young girl she was when we first came here. You can't keep sheltering and protecting her."

Peter stared at him. "She's in the hands of evil creatures, Edmund. We _have_ to get her back."

"We will," Edmund agreed. "Don't worry, we will. But you _have_ to get some sleep." Peter nodded and looked down at the ground. "Good. You go to sleep and I'll try to stop Crystal from leaving."

* * *

Lucy awoke with a start. She pulled in a deep breath of air only to start a coughing fit when she inhaled dirt. Tears collected in her eyes as she desperately tried to gasp for air.

"You're fine, little girl. Stop being over dramatic!" Lucy shot her head up as Isabella walked towards her, carrying a tray in her hands. "You're not hurt, so stop acting like you are," she continued, her eyes hard. "Here, I brought you good. Eat." She dropped the food in front of Lucy but she made no move towards it.

"Why'd you take me?" Lucy demanded, glaring at Isabella.

"How else am I going to get Peter to change his mind about marrying me?' Isabella responded as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and glared at Lucy with cold, hard eyes. "Since my original plan wouldn't work, getting him to trade in his throne for you would work. It's only a matter of time before he gives into my demands."

"You're original plan...?" Lucy muttered. Her eyes widened. "Your dad wasn't taken at all! Neither were you! You left by yourself and made it seem like you were taken so you could get Peter worried about you so you could brainwash him into marrying you!" She picked up her tray and threw it. "You're pathetic and Peter will never marry you!"

Lucy's head snapped to the side when Isabella's hand connected with her cheek. Tears came to Lucy's eyes once more as heat radiated off of the spot where she was slapped. Her cheek stung and she bit her lip to keep the tears inside.

"You're the pathetic one," Isabella hissed with venom. "Are you going to cry? Go ahead. No one cares about you."

"You're _wrong_!" Lucy replied. "They care."

"If they care so much how come they haven't come to get your yet?" Isabella asked in a taunting tone, never taking her eyes off of Lucy. "If they care, why haven't they agreed to meet with my guards at all? They don't care, little girl."

"They do!"

"They don't!'

"Don't waste your breathe, _Princess_!" Lucy leaned over to see a man step up behind Isabella. "This arguing is going to get you nowhere." Lucy flinched when Carlisle rested his jade green eyes on the young girl. He let out a growl-like laugh as he ran his tongue across his sharp canines. "This will be fun." He tapped his fingernails together and they made an unusual clinking sound as Lucy trembled in fear from the look in his eyes.

"Carlisle can we play hide and seek with her now?" Another man asked as he also came into the cave. The dying fire behind Lucy gave her enough light to see that he also has unusually long canines and shining green eyes.

"No!" Isabella barked. "She must not be hurt. Peter will never give in if she's hurt in any way, shape, or form."

Carlisle rolled his eyes although he gave his friend a look that told him not to go anything. The other man let out a loud growl of frustration, causing Lucy to jump. She winced in pain when she hit her hip against Susan's horn, which she managed to grab before she was taken. She made sure she kept it hidden in the folds of her dress to use when she felt the time was right.

She couldn't judge when that time was, unfortunately, because she didn't know how long they would keep her captive. But she did know that she wouldn't leave alive if Peter did anything to upset Isabella even more.

"Excuse me," Lucy's quiet voice echoed through the silent cave. Carlisle, Isabella, and the man turned to look at her. "I'm under the assumption that you two aren't human," she started. Carlisle regarded her, staying silent. "Where are you from, exactly?"

"Keep quiet!" Isabella snapped.

"She isn't going to make it out alive anyway," Carlisle said so calmly that Lucy was shocked; he sounded like he didn't care about anything that was happening. "We, young one, were born in the cold shadows of this land. Aslan banished our descendants to the darkest part of Narnia, with our only hope of survival resting on the Telmarines." He let out a fierce growl when he uttered the word Telmarine. "Now that they are gone we can finally take our land back and get back at Aslan for banishing us and destroying our queen."

"Your queen?" Lucy repeated. She gasped. "You mean...?"

"Yes, Jadis was our queen," Carlisle responded. "She made sure our ancestors were kept alive so we could finally reclaim what is ours. Going through Aslan's warriors is only a way to get to our goal faster." He shrugged. "We might keep you as a means of exercise though."

The other man laughed as Lucy gulped, keeping a hand on Susan's horn.

* * *

Edmund rapped his knuckles on Crystal's door and waited for a response. When he didn't hear anything he knocked on the door again. Once again he got no response. He grasped the door know and slowly pushed open the door, pushing away Peter's voice in his head telling him that it's polite to wait for a response before going into someone's room.

"Crystal?" he called as he took a step into the room. He got a thud as his response. He rushed into the room and looked over to where Crystal was sitting on her bed, slamming her necklace against the wooden headboard. "What're you doing?"

"This thing got us here," she responded without looking at him, "maybe it can take me back home too."

"Don't listen to Peter," Edmund begged.

"When do I ever listen to him?" Crystal commented, finally looking up at him, a hard look was in her cerulean blue eyes.

"Good point," Edmund agreed. He crossed the room and grabbed a chair, dragging it over to her bedside and sitting down on it, never taking his eyes off of her. "Why do you want to go home then?"

"'Cause I just want to," she responded, causing dent after dent to appear in the wooden board.

"So what Peter said has nothing to do with this at all?" Edmund asked, although he already knew the answer to his question. Crystal's silence confirmed his answer. "Crystal, put your necklace down."

"Are you going to order me, _King_ Edmund?" She asked sarcastically. "Why do you care what I do anyway?"

"Because you're my best friend." His response was so blunt that it actually grabbed Crystal's attention. "And my brother is an idiot and he doesn't know what he is saying. You were brought here for a reason, a very important reason. You have to stay."

"Would it really make a difference if I went home? I'm sure you guys can take care of Narnia yourselves, you've done it before. Twice, actually," Crystal pointed out. Edmund nodded slightly, silently agreeing with her. She looked back down at her necklace and muttered, "My presence isn't going to make much of a difference."

"I thought the exact same thing a while ago." She looked at him and noticed the faraway look that was in his dark eyes. "When we first got here...after I met the White Witch for the first time. I was constantly being bossed around by Peter. The White Witch said I could become prince if I helped her. I would've been a higher rank than Peter, which is what I wanted at the time. I wanted to be stronger than Peter, better than Peter at something. But I went about it the wrong way. I watched people get tortured because of me. The White Witch was constantly tracking Lucy, Susan, and Peter down because of me. In the back of my mind I knew it was because she wanted to kill us all, but I wouldn't believe it because I wanted to be so much better than Peter.

"After time she became angrier and angrier because Aslan was causing her snow to melt. She was going to get rid of me when Aslan's rescue party infiltrated her camp and took me to theirs. Even though I was back with Peter and my sisters I couldn't look them in the eye. I felt guilty for what I did; I was even ready to die to pay for my mistakes. I was going to die too, but Aslan took my place."

Edmund closed his eyes briefly, as if holding in the pain that started to seep into his voice. "I became a commander for our army against the White Witch. I didn't think I could do any good and I didn't understand why Aslan would trust me after what I did to everyone. I knew I had to do whatever I could to repent my sins, so I went against the White Witch myself. I almost died fighting her, but Lucy saved me. It was during our coronation that I realized that I was able to come to Narnia for a reason. I'm still not fully aware of what it is, but I know it has something to do with keeping the White Witch away. When the werewolf and the hag tried to bring her back, I knew I had to stop them." He let out a breath and opened his eyes, the pain that was hidden behind it slowly faded away. "The point is that you're needed here. You may not know why yet, but you will eventually. So please, stay for me," he cracked a smile, "who can I make fun of if you leave?"

Crystal laughed a little. "It would give you time to come up with something clever for once."

"I have something, trust me. I'm just waiting for the right time to use it." Edmund chuckled before a serious look returned to his face. "Also, I need your help with battle tactics and a strategy for whenever the inevitable war comes along."

"So why is it that you trust me fighting when it's 'not a lady's affair'?" Crystal asked with finger quotes.

Edmund knew she was quoting her brother and laughed. "Because I'm not afraid of you."


	18. Changing Tides

**Chapter 18: Changing Tides**

"So you see," Edmund concluded the next morning as he sat back in his chair and folded his hands on his lap, "we would have the upper hand if we go with this plan." He pointed to the large piece of paper that was to his left hand side. "But we would have more numbers if we use this plan." He pointed to the piece of paper that was to his right. "There is no way we can use both. It's either one or the other and they both come with their own consequences."

"Thanks for leaving the decision to me," Peter muttered as he held his face in his hands.

"Well, you _are_ the High King," Edmund said somewhat sarcastically as he rolled up the pieces of paper and secured them with some string. "Take your time; I don't believe that Isabella would make them attack us again. She'd wait for you to come to her."

"That's very reassuring," Peter told him, dropping his hands from his face.

"I do my best," Edmund said with a smile. "Peter, you know that we're with you, whatever decision you make."

"I know," Peter replied as the brothers stood. "The plans are excellent, Edmund. You've really outdone yourself this time."

Edmund looked pleased but embarrassed at the same time. He wasn't used to the praise he was receiving and he didn't know how to react to it but look away from Peter. "The army is getting restless. They know that we are going to fight soon and they fear that they won't have the proper training they need before we go on the attack," he stated, changing the subject.

"Go get Glenstorm and start their training. I'll meet you there in a few minutes," Peter told him, starting his way out of the room.

"Wait. Where are you going?" Edmund asked, following him.

"To apologize," Peter replied without turning around. As he got further and further down the hall the harder his heart beat, which confused him. He was merely going to talk to a friend and try to apologize for his ways, so why was his heart acting this way? He spotted Elvrond and Crystal walking down the hall talking quietly. When Elvrond noticed Peter he looked up, causing Crystal to turn her attention to him and glare at him, which made him flinch. "Sir, may I please talk to your daughter for a minute?"

"Ask her, not me," Elvrond responded glancing down at her.

Peter held his breath as ocean blue eyes locked with crystal blue eyes. Crystal let out a sigh and nodded. Peter smiled a little and gently took her arm, pulling her away from Elvrond. "What is it?" She snapped.

"I want to apologize," he replied. He continued before she could speak. "I wasn't making good judgment when I said I was willing to give up the throne for Lucy, and you were right. It's just that I'm worried about what they can do to her. I didn't mean to yell at you and I hope that you will forgive me and not let my momentary lapse of judgment change the way you think of me."

"I'll admit that I was mad at you, but not because you yelled at me, but because you told me that I don't know anything," Crystal started after a few seconds of silence. "I may not know everything about Narnia like you guys do, but I know enough to help out when I'm needed, and that's what I have been doing. I could've gone home but I decided to stay and help you because I didn't want you to go through...this alone. Also, those plans that Edmund showed you and you gave him praise over, I helped him on that."

Peter's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I don't think a better apology will suffice?" He asked with a sheepish smile.

"Just promise that when you're stressed you don't take it out on me again."

"I won't, _Princess_," Peter responded. Crystal gave him a confused look. "Your father's a king, which makes you a princess, if you've forgotten."

"Don't get into the habit of calling me that," Crystal warned him.

"Why?" he asked with a laugh. "Is it too 'ladylike' for you?"

"Don't start with me, Pevensie." Despite the annoyed look on her face, she had a smile along with it which instantly made Peter relax. An awkward silence fell between the two. "So...where is everyone?"

"Training, which was where I was headed, actually. I finally decided on which battle plan to use. I'm going to need you and Edmund there to make sure everything goes exactly the way you planned," he continued.

"Can we finish our conversation later?" Crystal asked Elvrond. He nodded and smiled pleasantly at her. "Thanks." She hesitated a little, as if to say something else, but she then turned around and walked with Peter down the hallway.

"Oh, I forgot, you're also going to need to be fitted," Peter spoke up.

"Fitted for what?" Crystal questioned. "Not more dresses!" Peter laughed at the horrified look that appeared on her face.

"No, not for dresses. For your chainmail."

"Wait...you're letting me fight?" Crystal asked in surprise. Her look of surprise quickly changed to one of suspicion. "What made you change your mind?"

"Does it matter?" Peter questioned.

"No, not really." Peter suddenly stumbled forward when he felt Crystal's body weight slam into his side. It was then that he realized that she was hugging him from the side. "Thank you! I won't let you down, I promise!"

Peter felt his face burn once Crystal let go of him. His heart hammered against his chest and his palms flooded with sweat. He was tempted to go find the doctor in case he had fallen ill, but training had to come first. The two went out to the courtyard and to the dais which lead to the Treasure Room. Peter went down the stairs and opened a trunk a ways away from the kings' and queens' trunks. Inside were many swords of different lengths and different weight along with daggers and knives. Peter pulled out a sword and tossed it to Crystal, who easily caught it.

The two left the Treasure Room in silence, walking across the courtyard towards the Narnian army that was listening to Edmund's orders as Caspian stood by. A little ways in the distance Peter could see Susan training the archers to aim at moving targets, which were really dummies that they had created and that cheetahs had clamped in their jaws.

"Edmund, I've decided to go along with your second plan, but I have found one small flaw," Peter told him.

"What's that?" Edmund questioned.

"We don't really know how many people Isabella has on her side, so we don't really know if we have enough people to outnumber her."

"I've thought about that, actually," Edmund explained. "Now that we have the Telmarines here and the Rayuvians, we have more than enough people. True, we probably haven't seen every member of Isabella's group, but we have a good chance of outnumbering them. Some of the Rayuvian women here can fight and the men are still back at his castle so we can call upon them whenever they are needed."

Peter let out a breath as a thoughtful look came to his face. The younger king waited for his brother to consider Edmund's explanation of the plan. He cleared his mind and took a breath, pushing away the negative thoughts that were slamming into his head but he couldn't stop them from coming. They were a habit now. After living in Narnia for fifteen years he learned how to deal with Peter's change of mind whenever he found a flaw in any of Edmund's plans. It's as if being High King made Peter think that whatever he said was right and that everyone else's idea was wrong, which made Edmund feel even worse about himself.

Peter was partially the reason that Edmund doubted himself as a king of Narnia. Constantly, after Edmund was rescued from death by Aslan, Edmund felt that Peter was purposely making Edmund feel bad about himself to pay for being a traitor to them, even after apologizing many times. Edmund tried to push those thoughts out of his head over the years, but it only got worse. When they returned home he finally felt that everything went back to normal and he couldn't help but feel smug knowing that Peter couldn't be the king that he wanted to be back in their own world.

Peter's muffled talking slowly got louder and louder before it invaded Edmund's thoughts and released him from his reverie. He glanced at his brother who was watching him, obviously waiting for his response.

"Sorry..." Edmund apologized meekly as he offered a smile. "I wasn't listening."

Peter chuckled and lightly clapped his hand on Edmund's shoulder. "I said I agree with you."

"You do?" Edmund asked in shock. He didn't mean to sound so shocked, it wasn't that uncommon for Peter to agree with him on something. It's just that Peter usually doesn't agree with him unless he feels that there is no other solution but Edmund's suggestion.

"Yes." Peter turned to the group who waited for his orders. "We don't know when they're going to attack, but it's best to start training now rather than later. I apologize for making this decision now, when they could've attacked at any moment. We're going to make up for lost time. Ed and Crys came up with a plan that we're going to use against Isabella's army, so listen closely."

Edmund cleared his throat and began his explanation of his plan. He spoke clearly and with a voice of confidence that Peter hadn't heard before. A proud smile came to his face once he noticed the look of awe on the army's face as well as nods of approval moved through the crowd like a ripple in a water surface.

Edmund finished, relaxing slightly under the gaze of the army. He was pretty sure that he had all of them convinced that this was the best way to get Lucy back. He looked them all in the eye to see if he could read any hidden doubts; he saw none, only confidence.

"It would be easier to train if we split into groups. So, half of you will come with me and Crystal and the other half will go with Caspian and Peter," Edmund finished. "If that's all right with you," he added, turning to Peter.

"Sounds good," Peter agreed, pulling out his sword. He missed the weight of the sword in his hand but he was glad that he didn't have to use it recently. He missed the feeling of power that he received from wielding the blade, the feeling that he could do anything and he can live up to his name of being magnificent.

He turned to address his half of the army when he looked in the distance, watching the Gentle queen hold archery training. Peter could automatically tell that something else was on her mind except archery because of her stiff posture.

"Excuse me for a moment," Peter muttered to Caspian.

"Of course, Peter."

Peter returned Rhindon to its sheath as he walked over to Susan, never taking his eyes off of her. He watched as she pulled her arrow back and held it, making sure she had it right on target. She let go and the arrow flew gracefully through the air, but missed the target by mere inches. She let out a breath of frustration before reaching her arm back for another arrow as dwarves, fauns, and centaurs shot off arrow after arrow.

"Su," Peter said softly the same time he rested his hand on her shoulder. He felt her tense up under his palm. A few seconds went by before she finally relaxed and turned around to look at him. He could immediately tell that she was upset, she seemed to be on the brink of tears. "Oh, Su, what's wrong?" He asked, pulling her into a hug.

"We were supposed to be looking out for her," Susan's muffled voice replied as she wrapped her arms around Peter, as if he was her only support. "I was there, watching her to make sure she didn't get hurt. And I just let them take her. It's my fault she's gone, Peter."

"No it's not!" He said firmly, holding her at arm's length so she would look him in the eye. "This is no one's fault. Don't waste your time on the past. She is gone, but we're going to get her back. Ok?" Susan didn't respond. "Su, we _will_ get Lucy back. Don't beat yourself up about it. Let it all go, relax, and be confident. We can do this." Susan nodded and wiped the tears that spilled down her cheeks. "I won't let this happen again. _Ever._"

Peter saw the renewed determination flickering like a flame in his sister's eyes. He gently kissed the Gentle's forehead before going back to where Caspian was waiting patiently. Peter drew his sword, signaling that the training had begun.

Peter fought the hardest he had every fought against Caspian. His power and adrenaline was fueled by anger and hatred towards Isabella for taking Lucy and for trying to force her way into the kingdom by pulling the wool over his eyes and messing with his mind freely.

He was also mad at Aslan for disappearing once more. He started to lose his trust in the noble lion for abandoning them when they needed help the most. His anger left his mind clouded and the only thing he wanted to do was destroy whatever came in his way, which eventually led to Edmund having to pull Peter away from Caspian for fear of injuring the king.

"That's enough for today," Edmund called to the army. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"King Peter," Glenstorm stepped up to the High King, "you need some rest. I fear that you may have over worked yourself."

"I'm fine," Peter brushed the words away in a dismissive tone.

"Sire, please," Glenstorm continued. "You need to clear your head. Right now you aren't thinking straight because you are being blinded by your anger. That won't fare well in battle; it would only wind up in getting you killed quicker." The words seemed to sink in as Peter's face slowly relaxed and he let out a slow, cleansing breath. "Would you like me to get a servant to draw you a bath, Sire?"

"No, but thank you Glenstorm," Peter responded. "I would like to go on a ride, though," he said more to himself as he turned to look at the horse pen in the distance.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Susan asked, in her motherly tone, which instantly brought annoyance back to Peter's demeanor. Susan always acted like a mother to them, including Peter, which got on his nerves. He was the oldest after all so she didn't have to talk down to him, but sometimes she saw him like Edmund and Lucy so she felt she had to talk down to him.

"I'd rather you didn't," Peter admitted, turning away from the hurt look on Susan's face. "I'd like to be alone."

"If you're sure..."

"I'm sure. Don't worry about me." Peter forced a smile.

"Great! I'm getting hungry," Edmund said as he stretched his arms over his head.

"You're always hungry, mate. That's no new news," Crystal commented with an eye roll.

"I'm a growing boy, I need food," he shot back.

"Sire, it would be best if someone accompanied you," Glenstorm spoke up, "just in case Isabella decides to send out someone to ambush you. Who knows if she has the Dryads on her side?"

His words fell on deaf ears as Peter was all ready walking away from the ground, holding his crown tightly in his hands.

"Will you keep an eye on him?" Susan asked Crystal. She nodded and raced to catch up with Peter.

"Are you that worried about him or are you planning something?" Edmund asked as Susan smiled a little.

"Hush up, Edmund," she said with a smile tugging at her lips.

"Susan, might I interest you in a walk along the beach?" Caspian asked in a hushed whispered.

"You might," Susan responded, taking the arm that he held out to her and the two changed direction and walked towards the beach.

"Fine. Go and leave me alone. I don't care!" Edmund called after them before walking with Glenstorm back into the castle. "I don't suppose you play chess, do you?"

* * *

"Susan, what is troubling you so?" Caspian asked, resting his hand on her lower back as he escorted her back up the castle stairs. He didn't even have to look at her face for his answer. "I assure you that Lucy will come back safe and sound."

"I was supposed to protect her," Susan whispered, following him as he led her up the stairs to the corridor that held their respective rooms.

Caspian didn't respond but pushed open the door to his room. Lacing his fingers with hers he gently pulled her inside and shut the door behind him. Then he pulled her to him and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Aslan knew what he was doing when he named her Valiant," he commented, pushing a strand of dark hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear, cupping her cheek. Her small hand reached up and rested on his, her face leaning into his touch. "Isabella underestimates her power," he continued, looking deeply into her eyes. "Do not cloud your mind with worry over her."

"Oh Caspian..." She loved saying his name. It rolled off of her tongue perfectly.

Caspian placed a finger to her lips and kissed her, pulling her closer to him, melting with her, fusing with her. She reached up and ran her fingers though his soft hair, feeling one of his hands hold her even tighter, while the other rested on her hip. She felt the fire in her chest explode into a massive flame and butterflies flying around in her stomach. She broke away for air and he used this to trail his kisses down her neck and moved to her collarbone.

Caspian was burning, tasting her skin, tasting her. It was the sweetest taste in the world to him. He was intoxicated by her scent. He felt himself drowning in their love, drowning in her. White hot electricity ran through his body as she slid her hand under his shirt to his back, feeling the taut muscles that rippled as he struggled to feel every inch of her.

He wanted to be with her so long since their return, but she would always be with her siblings or with a guard, conversing over the next celebration that was to be held. He craved her and he felt like he was going to explode now that he finally had her.

* * *

"Peter, slow down!"

Peter let out a sigh of annoyance and pulled on Ashen's reigns to keep her from moving. She stopped and he turned to see Crystal coming up behind him on a solid black horse with a white stripe down his nose.

"Which one of them sent you?" Peter asked without looking at her.

"Susan," Crystal admitted, grasping the necklace that swung around her neck.

He was silent for a few seconds. "I'd rather it be you than them, I guess." He flicked his reigns and urged Ashen into a trot. Dava, the black horse, fell into rhythm with Ashen.

"What's really going on in that head of yours? You practically killed Caspian today," Crystal stated, not own to sugar coat her questions.

"It's nothing," Peter muttered.

"Bull," Crystal replied instantly. He didn't say anything; he just kept his eyes on the path ahead of them. "We know you're worried about Lucy and you're mad that they took her, but don't take your anger out on us. Take it out on them; they're the ones who deserve it."

Peter was lost in his thoughts so the two rode together in silence. Crystal was paying more attention to the breathtaking sunset that was beginning to form in front of them. You wouldn't see anything like this back in Finchley, something that she loved about Narnia.

Ever since she was pulled into the world she compared it back to her home. She loved how the air seemed to be stained with the sea breeze from the ocean, she loved the animals and the creatures that roamed the land, she loved the music and arts that some creatures dedicated themselves to, but most of all she loved the fact that she was finally reunited with her father.

Back in Finchley she's always had the feeling that she wasn't where she belonged, or she wasn't with her right family. Now that she was with Elvrond she felt that she was finally where she belonged and she could honestly call Narnia her home.

"I'm angrier at myself, really," Peter suddenly spoke up as the two waded into the cool water of River Rush. Since the water eroded the river into a gorge they had to move down the river until they got to a shallow part that was easy to reach. "This wouldn't have happened if I kept treating Lucy like a little kid. In my mind she's still the little girl that wants me to read to her or play games with her."

"Well, eventually you should have known that she would want to help you fight."

"I know that. I just didn't want to expose her to war just yet."

"But you don't know what she has to offer. She does have that cordial so she can heal anyone to help bring the numbers back up."

"Believe it or not, you're making me feel worse," Peter told her, despite smiling a little. He bent over and used his hand to splash water at her as a punishment. She jumped out of the way with a challenging look in her eyes.

She bent over and splashed water right back at him, but he was ready for it and kicked a bigger wave right back. The two then got into a water fight, seeing who could get the other wet the most. Their laughter filled the air and seemed to break the hostility that was settling over the country.

"Ok! Ok! I give! Stop!" Crystal said mid laugh as she used her hands to shield her face from the water attack. "And now I'm cold," she muttered once a light wind blew and she started walking back towards the horses.

Peter walked a little faster than her and passed her to get to Ashen. He opened up the little pouch that he had fastened to her reigns and pulled out a cloak. He walked back over to her and gently pulled the cloak down over her head so the collar piece rested under her chin, a little ways down her neck.

Absentmindedly he gently ran his fingers though her silky, soft jet black hair to move it out of the way of the cloak. He looked down at her and was immediately captivated by the sunset's reflection in her crystal blue eyes. He blinked after a couple of seconds of gazing which seemed to bring him back to reality. He blushed and backed away from her. "Uh...sorry," he mumbled.

"It's ok." Crystal turned her head to hide her red face. A couple of seconds of awkward silence passed by as the two refused to meet each other's gaze.

"I think it's time we should be heading back," Dava spoke up, causing the two to jump.

"I agree." Peter speed walked to Ashen and easily swung himself up onto her back. He tried not to laugh when he noticed that Crystal was having a hard time getting on Dava because of her dress. "Let me help." Peter dismounted and walked over to where they were standing. He gently yet firmly grasped Crystal's hips and lifted her off of the ground, depositing her on Dava's back.

"Thank you," Crystal said to Dava's neck.

"You're welcome."

Peter got back on Ashen and the two horses took off, back towards Cair Paravel. Peter was still amazed at how much it's been rebuilt since they've last been there. A few sections here and there still needed to be done, but other than that the castle stood as majestically as it did before. The bright lights that seemed out of the castle always gave him a welcoming feeling.

"Pete! Pete, guess what!" Edmund shouted once the two had stepped into the Great Hall. He stopped in his tracks as a slow smile came to his face. Peter could all ready see the wheels in his head turning.

"I'm just going...to go, I'm afraid of what he's going to say. Night boys," Crystal said, giving them a little wave before going towards the stairs that led to their rooms.

"Why're you wet?" Edmund asked.

"We were by the river," Peter responded, brushing past Edmund.

"Why was she wearing your cloak?" He asked, following his older brother.

"Good night, Edmund."

"Peter, something happened. Tell me! I want to know! Don't walk away from me! Come back here!"

* * *

The shadows of the guards at the front of the cave started to grow longer, creeping towards Lucy who sat near the back. She could see a faint glimpse of the sky that was blue but was slowly turning pink to purple. Twilight was setting in, which reminded Lucy that she had to spend yet another day in captivity, waiting for her brothers and sister to rescue her.

Lucy played with the hem of her dress to take her mind off of her aches and pains and the fear that was constantly squeezing her heart. Isabella and her army didn't hide their plans from her. Lucy wasn't stupid. She knew that meant that they planned to get rid of her one way or another, and she had a sinking feeling she knew which way it would be.

Oh, how she longed to be back in the castle running around finding new adventures. She missed reading in the library with Peter, going riding with Susan, playing hide and seek with Edmund, taking care of the garden with Caspian, and exploring with Crystal.

"Hey, _Queen_," Isabella sneered as she walked over to Lucy. Lucy looked up at her but remained silent, which angered Isabella. "Answer me when I talk to you!" She shouted, slapping Lucy's all ready bruised face. Isabella frowned when she didn't get the scream or the whimper she looked for. Lucy had a hard look in her eyes and kept her mouth shut. She pulled out her dagger and held it between Lucy's eyes. "You better respond!" Isabella growled.

"...yes?" Lucy's voice came out in a harsh whisper.

"Yes _what_?" Isabella snarled.

"...yes, Princess?" Lucy choked on the words and squeezed her eyes shut. The words felt bitter in her mouth, she could hardly believe that she was in this position to utter them for her survival.

"That Crystal girl...she's hardly a lady yet she's being treated like a queen." Isabella paced as she spoke, tapping the flat blade of the dagger against her palm. "Why is that?" Lucy stayed silent. "Why is that _wench_ getting the benefits when she's nothing but a commoner?" Lucy still didn't respond. Isabella threw her dragger at Lucy and Lucy turned her head away, expecting pain. When it didn't come she turned to see the dagger sticking out of the rock wall, shaking. "_ANSWER ME!"_

"She's a princess!" Lucy blurted out. It was Isabella's turn to look like she had been slapped in the face. "She's the Princess of the Kingdom of Rayuvial. She's King Elvrond's daughter." The words poured out of her mouth like a water fall. "She's also been appointed as a body guard of sorts for us by Aslan himself."

"Aslan." Isabella pulled her dagger out of the wall, trembling from anger. "Aslan!" She screamed. "Carlisle! Aslan has gotten in the way one too many times. You must send someone track him down and get rid of him."

"What would we get out of it?" Carlisle asked, glaring at Isabella.

"Once I'm in control you can have whatever part of Narnia you want, that includes control of whatever it is that's living there at the time."

A slow grin formed on Carlisle's face before he turned around and let out a howl. He got barks in reply that turned faint as his soldiers moved out in the night. "Anything else?" He asked dryly.

"Yes, tell my father I'd like a word with him. Tell him to bring a quill and paper too," Isabella responded. She watched Carlisle leave before turning to Lucy, who was shaking slightly. She didn't say anything but held Lucy's gaze as a slow, evil smile came to her lips and she walked out.

Once Lucy was away she bowed her head and let the tears fall. '_Oh Aslan, Aslan...where are you?'_

She sucked in a breath when she heard scuffling noises from the back of the cave. Her heart beat faster in fear as she clutched onto her knife. A shadow moved around a corner and stretched towards her before the wielder of the shadow was revealed.

Lucy gasped.

"James!"

* * *

**Man! 11 pages in Microsoft Word! I outdid myself this time! I hope you liked the different scenes with each character. Please read and review.**

**~Crystal**

**P.S. I didn't insert myself into this story. I sign off as Crystal 'cause it's the shortened version of my penname, but that's the only coincidence between the two. Just to clear that up in case someone thought that. ^_^**


	19. The Letter

******Chapter 19: The Letter**

"Ssshh!" James muttered as he quietly crept towards her. He was so light on his feet that Lucy couldn't hear his footfall at all. He gave her a brief smile as he crouched next to her. "Are you ok, My Queen?" He asked, looking over her face. "Well, of course you're not seeing as you're here," he muttered.

"Otherwise I am fine," Lucy admitted. "How'd you know I was here? Where did you disappear to? I hope Evlyn is all right." The words fell out her mouth as the questions came into her head. She kept an eye on the entrance of the cave to make sure Isabella wasn't coming back.

"I have my ways of knowing things, My Queen. Evlyn is fine, we're all fine." James looked around the cave to make sure no one else was there but dropped his voice anyway. "We're on the brink of war, everyone knows it. Isabella has far more numbers than we expect."

"But…we have the Narnians, what's left of the Telmarines, and the Rayuvians. Isn't that enough?" Lucy asked.

"No," James responded. "Not nearly enough. We need more people. My kingdom is lending as much help as possible but we still need…" James paused. "We still need Aslan."

Lucy felt a pang of longing when James said Aslan. She knew that Aslan was staying away for a good reason, probably so they wouldn't rely too much on him to protect Narnia, but he seemed to be the only one who knew exactly what was going on and what they should do to stop it.

"He's disappeared again," she muttered.

"Are you really surprised? He goes wherever he's needed and returns when he's needed," James said, glancing at the entrance again. He shifted his weight to his back foot as if ready to leave. "I don't think anyone is around, which is strange. They'd be guarding you like a precious treasure."

"Let's go then," Lucy said as she jumped to her feet.

"Ok. But we have to go through the back." James grasped her hand and lifted her off of the ground and onto his back. "Hold on," he instructed her as he held her under her bent knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck before he started running.

Everything blew by them in a blur as James ran out of the cave. The dark cave suddenly turned into the bright moonlight once they were outside. Lucy held onto James's neck with a tight grip so she wouldn't fall off, but she trusted him to get her back to safety. He ran at the speed for at least five minutes before he slowed down and stopped all together and put Lucy down on the ground. She was amazed that he hadn't lost his breath at all.

"Thank you," she said suddenly.

"Oh, I didn't really do anything," James said with a shrug. "Isabella may be intimidating and may be able to control people, but she isn't all that bright. Working with those werewolves is going to be downfall for her. She can't control them no matter how much she wants to."

"I meant for risking yourself to save me. You could've just left me there."

"I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. When word spread that you were taken I knew I had to find you," he responded, turning his head as she wouldn't see him blushing. "For your family's sake," he added quickly.

"How'd you find me though?" She asked.

"It wasn't that hard," he admitted. "Like I said, Isabella isn't that bright so it was relatively easy to find her." He looked around. "Cair Paravel is that way," he said as he pointed. "The fast way there is to go down some of the hills and follow the river. Isabella decided to stay close to Cair Paravel in case she wanted to have another night attack. You should be back by morning, save nothing happens along the way."

"Aren't you coming with me?" She asked.

"You don't need me there with you," he said with a pleasant smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're Queen Lucy the Valiant, you can do this on your own. I know you can." He gave her shoulder a little squeeze before kissing her on the cheek. "Stay safe and don't hesitate to use your dagger."

In the blink of an eye he was gone. Lucy peered into the darkness, trying to see where he went. A slow smile formed on her face as she touched her cheek. She could still feel his kiss that lingered there. She checked to make sure she still had her knife and her cordial.

Isabella and Carlisle stole it off of her when they first captured her, but she managed to get it back when Isabella was on one of her many rampages. She checked to see if she still had the horn on her. She needed to bring it back to Susan as quickly as possible. She went through a lot to get it back from Carlisle in the first place.

She whipped her head around when she heard a faint howl in the background. It was enough to make her start running in the direction James told her to go. She cursed under her breath for wearing such a long dress. She grabbed the front and ran faster than she had ever run before.

She slowed down as she took James's advice and slowly made her way down the hill side. She held onto trees to keep her balance so she wouldn't fall down the hill. Another how pierced the air and it seemed as if it were closer than it was before. Panicked, she tried to go faster but she stepped on the hem of her dress. She stumbled to catch her balance and stubbed her toe on a rock.

Lucy let out a cry of pain as she started rolling down a hill at top speed. Branches and bushes met with her and she let out more cries of pain as she connected with them. She showed no signs of slowing down as she tumbled further and further. She ran into a rock that launched her into the air. Before she could react that ground disappeared below her and the water was rising up to meet her, fast.

She was submerged and the shock of hitting the water caused her to let go of her breath too early. She turned and swam for the surface as she felt the current pulling her in a random direction. Her head broke the surface and she took in a gulp of air as the current pulled her.

She glanced around her to see where the water was carrying her. Her eyes widened when she saw the water just disappear as the faint roaring got louder and louder as she was carried along. She searched around to find something to grab, but nothing was floating in the water with her and there was nothing but rocks on the banks. Her breaths came out in gasps as her heart beat faster and the roaring got louder. She closed her eyes tight when she felt her stomach drop as she plummeted.

She had no time to scream before she was submerged once more and the current pulled her down further than before. She tried to swim towards the surface but the current continued to pull at her like a vacuum. She continued to struggle, staring ahead at the moon's shimmering reflection. Her head started to spin from the lack of oxygen as her limbs felt like they were being weighed down. Black started to creep into the corner of her vision and seeped in like water color paint.

Her lungs were on fire. She forces her arms and legs to move to get closer to the surface as everything got darker. Her head and heart pounded but she willed herself not to let go of her breath. The darkness practically covered her vision as she felt herself sinking instead of moving up towards the surface. She felt a tug on the back of her shirt before everything went black.

"Is she ok?"

"Go get some water?"

"Isn't that Queen Lucy, Queen of Narnia Country?"

"It is. What is she doing here?"

"Sssh. She's waking up."

Lucy groaned and tried to move her head from whoever was dabbing at her forehead. She could feel dull pain above her right eyebrow whenever something touched that area. She forced her eyes open but shut then really quickly when the bright light blinded her.

"Are you well, your majesty?" Lucy looked in the direction the voice was coming from and saw a young man looking at her in concern. She guessed he was about Peter's age.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you," she responded as she sat up. "Where am I?"

"The Kingdom of Rayuvial," the man responded. "We found you floating in The Great River. What happened, my Queen?"

"Isabella and her group of werewolves attacked Cair Paravel and kidnapped me. I think she only did it to threaten Peter into marrying her so she could get the throne. They took me to a cave and kept me there waiting for word from Peter. She got unstable day by day. Prince James came to the cave when I wasn't being guarded and helped me escape. He told me a way to get back to Cair Paravel. I fell down a hill and landed in the river, only to be swept down it and over a water fall. After that it's black and I woke up here," she explained.

"Cair Paravel," the man repeated. "That's not far from here."

"I know, Peter and Edmund came a few weeks ago to talk to Elvrond," Lucy replied. "Ironically, our friend is his daughter."

The man suddenly gasped and Lucy jumped at the noise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Princess Crystal is back?" He asked.

Lucy nodded. "She found out that she was his daughter only…a few days ago."

"Do you not know who her mother was?" The man asked. Lucy shook her head. "Her mother was Mother Nature, the protector of Narnia, partner with Aslan. Princess Crystal is destined to follow in her mother's footsteps and become Queen of Rayuvial."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Of course," the man responded. "I wish I could explain more, but we have to get ready."

"For what?" Lucy asked.

"War," he responded. "But I have to get you back to Cair Paravel first. Follow me, My Queen." He stood and walked quickly towards the door. Lucy jumped off of the bed she had been lying down on and raced after him. "By the way, my name's Adymn."

* * *

"Will you stop following me?" Peter asked in annoyance as he turned around in time to see Edmund darting behind a potted plant. He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest waiting for Edmund to come forward.

"What makes you think I'm following you?" Edmund asked.

"Maybe because you followed me into the kitchens, around the yard, into my restroom, and now you just hid behind a potted plant," he responded with a slight eye roll.

"You've just been going wherever I was going to go," Edmund denied.

"So you were going to go into my room anyway?" Peter asked with a skeptical look on his face. Edmund shrugged. Peter sighed, knowing full well the real reason Edmund was following him. "You're just following me to find out what happened between Crystal and I."

"Ah-_ha_!" Edmund shouted, pointing at Peter.

"Ah-ha what?" Peter asked, not bothering to mask his annoyance.

"Last night you said nothing happened between you two and now you said that something _did_ happen between you two," he said with a triumphant smile. Peter shook his head, turned, and went back down the hall. Edmund followed him. "Now that you got that off your chest, tell me. What happened? I have to know."

"Why must you know?" Peter asked.

"Because she's my best friend and you're my brother. I have to make sure that nothing bad will come out of you two getting together."

That caused Peter to stop in his tracks altogether. "We're not together and we're not going to get together, ok?" Although he told Edmund that they wouldn't get together ever since the night before he couldn't get her off of his mind. He managed to convince himself that it was because he saw her like a sister to ease himself into sleep, but he knew that it wasn't the real reason. He just didn't want to admit to Edmund that he was maybe _slightly_ attracted to her for fear of him going on a rampage of declaring that he was right.

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Edmund questioned.

Before Peter could answer a Rayuvian women came walking over to the two boys, a smile on her face. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something, my lords. But there is urgent news."

"What is it?" Peter asked.

"Your sister, Queen Lucy, has returned," she responded.

"Really?" Edmund asked, eyes wide. "Where is she? Is she all right?"

"She is fine, your majesty. She's coming up the hill as we speak. I spied her as I watched my sons playing."

"Thank you for informing us," Peter said as he slapped Edmund's arm. The woman curtsied before the two brothers raced down the hall to get to their sister.

"Wait, Susan," Edmund muttered before turning to run back down the hall. "Susan! Susan!" He shouted, ignoring the fact that his voice was echoing throughout the castle. "Susan! Lucy's back!" He shouted, reaching for the knob of her door. "Su…_Peter_!" He shouted.

"What is it?" Peter asked, running back towards Susan's room, his hand resting on the hilt to Rhindon just in case. Edmund pointed and Peter stopped right at the doorway as if he had hit a brick wall. His mouth opened and closed as Susan pulled her covers closer against her and Caspian, hastily, slid out of bed and pulled on his pants. "You better have all of your clothes on when you come downstairs. Lucy's back."

Peter closed the door and turned to Edmund. The shocked look never left his face, it was as if his face was frozen that way. Peter poked Edmund's cheek to see if that would cause any change in Edmund's face.

"What's going on? The whales could probably hear Edmund's screaming," Crystal commented, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. She looked at Edmund's face and chuckled. "What happened to him? Did he finally see his reflection in the mirror?"

"No, he saw something more disturbing," Peter responded with a teasing smile. The statement seemed to bring Edmund out of his shock because he rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Peter. "Lucy's back," he responded.

Crystal broke into a smile and the three started running towards the stairs, more like racing each other there to see who could get to Lucy first. Crystal spotted Elvrond coming out of the library, a book in his hand. "Dad, Lucy's back, come on!" She shouted, grabbing onto the pillar by the rail of the stairs, she was moving so fast she had to grab onto it so she wouldn't fall down the stairs. The shocked look on his face stopped her in her tracks.

"What?" She asked.

"You…you called me 'Dad'," he responded slowly. He closed the book and chuckled a little. "It's just…I've waited a long time to hear that." A sad smile came to his face. "What am I going to do when you go home?" He asked himself more than her.

The smile that was on her face left it as she went down stairs, following Peter's and Edmund's repeated shouting of Lucy's name. She hadn't felt that attached to anyone before, even though she only reunited with him a few weeks prior.

Back in Finchley the only people she talked to were the Pevensies, and even then she felt alone. They all had each other, they were always there for one another while she sat in the background watching their numerous family bonding moments. It made her jealous of them but at the same time she was glad to have them as friends because they instantly welcomed her into their group.

Being with her father, her real father, made her feel special, and to think that it could be taken away at any moment because she had to return home made her apprehensive of what was to come in the near future.

"Don't worry about me. Go and see if Lucy's OK," he said as he lightly squeezed her shoulder.

She nodded and went down the stairs right as Susan appeared near the top. Crystal stopped to walk with Susan as Caspian trailed behind the two girls. Crystal studied Susan's face as the descended the stairs. She looked angry, embarrassed, relieved, and annoyed all at the same time. Crystal knew better than to ask what was wrong.

"Lucy!" Susan exclaimed once she set eyes on her little sister. She picked up the front of her dress and ran down the stairs as Lucy ran to meet her halfway. "I'm so glad you're all right," she whispered as she held Lucy tight.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Lucy muttered as she dug through her robes. "Here, I got this back for you." She held out Susan's horn.

"Thanks, Lu," she said as she took it. She hugged Lucy again and kissed her forehead. Lucy hissed and backed away, holding her head. Susan pried her hand away and stared at the gash that was now on her forehead. She then noticed the bruises and the scratches that adorned her face. "Who…?"

"Isabella," Lucy replied. "But I'm fine. I had my cordial, she couldn't do anything bad to me." She noticed the distant look in Susan's eyes. "I'm fine, really," she said sternly.

"Of course you are," Susan muttered, forcing a smile and dropping her hand.

"Go on up to your room. I'll call a servant to draw your bath. I'm sure everyone will be pleased to see you," Peter told Lucy, hugging her front behind and resting his forehead against her head. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Crystal stood by watching the exchange silently, trying to snuff out the feelings of jealous that rose inside of her. It reminded her of the many times when Crystal would be sitting alone on her stoop and watched all the other children running around and laughing with each other. Crystal squeezed her eyes shut to keep the sudden tears from falling.

She hated crying.

Crying was a sign of weakness.

Her mother, _other _mother, taught her that before she disappeared.

"What're you crying for?" Her mother would snap as the young girl would rub her cheek. Crystal would stare up at her mother with wide crystal blue eyes that were threatening to fill with tears. "It's just a little scrape. It's nothing to cry over."

"But…but it _hurts_," Crystal whimpered, wiping away the blood that was still dripping from her open wound.

"Crying is a sign of weakness. Do you want to be a big girl?" Her mother asked. Crystal stayed silent. "Do you want to be grown up like Mommy? Do you want to become a strong girl and not have anyone push you around? Do you want to be like me?"

"Yes, Mum," Crystal responded. "I want to be just like you."

"Then stop your crying." Crystal wiped her tears away and forced a smile. "That's my little girl," her mother said with praise, which made Crystal smile wider. "From now on, whenever you cry, know that it's a sign of weakness. And you are not weak, right?"

"Right!"

"Excuse me, Lady Crystal." She blinked and was snapped out of her reverie to see a man standing by her side. He quickly bowed. "Princess, I'm Adymn. From Rayuvial. I must say that I am honored to be in your presence." He bowed once more.

'Thank you," she replied slowly. She still hadn't gotten used to the idea of being friends with the Kings and Queens of Old and being a princess herself. "Crystal is fine."

"I have delivered Queen Lucy, as promised. This is for you also," he said as he pulled out a letter. Crystal thanked him with a nod and accepted the letter. Edmund noticed that himself and nudged Peter. Once he got Peter's attention he nodded in Adymn's direction. Crystal was about to look at it when she noticed him staring at her. "I'm sorry. You're…more beautiful than I would have thought," he said as he blushed. He suddenly looked into the distance, as if looking for something. "I must be off. It was a pleasure meeting you in person." He took her hand and lightly kissed it. Crystal had a look that was mixture of amusement and skepticism on her face. "Please, tell your father that we are ready for any instructions he may have in the near future."

"I will. Travel safely." Adymn lifted himself onto his horse's back and took the reins. He gave her a smile once more before urging his horse forward and riding off. Crystal shook her head, as if in disbelief, only to turn around to see everyone staring at her. "What?" She asked annoyed.

"Nothing," Lucy chirped, a large smile on her face. "That bath does sound good about now." She turned and walked slowly back up the stairs inside the castle, a slight limp was in her step.

"Caspian, could you go with her?" Peter asked.

"I'm sure she can get to her room by herself," Caspian told him, trying to be reasonable. Peter gave him a hard look. Caspian shifted under Peter's gaze before following Lucy up the stairs.

"Susan, I need to talk to you," Peter said in a stern tone, his hard gaze turned to her. She matched it with the same intensity smoldering in her blue eyes. Both Edmund and Crystal knew that nothing good would come out of the conversation.

"Actually, Pete, I'd like to talk to you first," Edmund said as he placed his hand on Peter's shoulder. Peter tore his eyes away from Susan to look at him. "About our plans," Edmund continued as he turned Peter towards the stables. Edmund knew that being around the horses calmed him down easier than talking out his problems, or in this case, yelling out his problems. Edmund looked over his shoulder at Susan who gave him a nod of thanks.

"Do I want to know?" Crystal asked Susan.

"Peter came into my room this morning, saw something, and went off his rocker about it," she responded as she tucked her dress beneath her and sat down on the ground. Crystal followed suit and lazily picked blades of grass out of the ground. "He treats me like a little kid, I'm getting sick of it. He should know that I can make my own decisions. He knows about me and Caspian…why would he suddenly get bent out of shape like that?"

"Because he's human?" Crystal replied. Susan didn't reply. "Here's how I see it, you should appreciate Peter caring about your well-being so much that he's angry with you. That just proves how much he loves you and how much he wants to make sure you're safe and protected."

"I don't always need to be protected!" Susan stated, her beautiful blue eyes became as hard as her tone. "I stopped Telmarines from hurting Lucy by myself. I know which boys to stay away from back in England. I'm responsible but he can't grasp the fact that I'm growing up and I need to make my own mistakes."

"Su, you're lucky to have a brother who cares about you so much." Susan was surprised at the angered tone Crystal had taken upon herself to use. "You're lucky you have a little sister who looks up to you. You're lucky to have a brother who puts his sister's needs before his own. So what if Peter is mad at you right now? What matters is that he comes off as strict and somewhat controlling because he wants what's best for you. He's one of the only brothers you have so you should be thankful that he actually cares about your life. He could easily ignore you and give all of his attention to Lucy or Edmund but he doesn't.

"I mean, you're lucky to have a family that cares about you. A family that is always there for you instead of leaving the house hours at a time leaving you to fend for yourself or leaving you with the neighbors. You're lucky to have a mother who was always there instead of having a mother who would only be home to show off her new boyfriend only to leave again. You're lucky to actually have a stable life instead of finding out that the one you were living was a lie the entire time! You're lucky that people actually care about you!"

_'Don't cry. Don't cry. Crying is a sign of weakness!'_ Crystal repeated in her head as she clenched her hands into fists. She hadn't meant to bring up the anger she held onto, but once she got started it was hard for her to stop the words from coming out. It was like a waterfall, she didn't have the strength to keep the words in. She felt strangely at peace after her rant. It was as if a burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"We care about you," Susan told her. She scoffed. "Really, we do. If we didn't we would've made you go straight back home once we came here. If we didn't we would've kicked you out of our castle or just left you alone all those years since we met you. Lucy looks up to you, Edmund considers you his best friend, I feel like I can go to you and I know you'll listen to my problems, and Peter…well, Peter holds a special place is his heart for you. And Elvrond, he just got reunited with you but he talks about you all the time like a father should. You may not see it all the time, but people do care and they always will."

Silence stretched between the girls, but it was a comfortable silence. Talking to Susan put Crystal at peace and eased her mind. "So, are you ready to face Peter?" She questioned. "It's better not to prolong his anger."

"You're right." Susan stood and dusted off the bottom of her dress. The two girls started up the grassy slope to get back to the castle. "You didn't read your letter," she said as she nodded towards it.

"Oh, right." Crystal unfolded the piece of parchment that was in her hand. She glanced down quickly to make sure she made it up the stairs before reading the letter silently. Her eyes darted across the paper. As she read on her eyes slowly narrowed until they were narrowed so much Susan was surprised that she could still see.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked.

"Do you want the surprising news first or the obvious news first?" Crystal asked.

"The latter."

"No surprise here, but we're going to war," Crystal responded. "Seems like I instigated it."

"That's no surprise either," Susan commented. "What part of the news is surprising."

"Well, she's convinced that I'm her long time rival, despite only knowing her for a short time, and she wants me to have a duel with her before the war."

"She wants to fight you before she goes to war with us?" Susan repeated. "That sounds fishy to me. It could be a trap. Let's talk to Peter about it."

"I want to talk to Dad about it too."

"Excuse me," Susan stopped a centaur. "Could you please find Peter, Edmund, Caspian, Lucy, and Elvrond and tell them to meet us in the Council Room?"

"Yes, your majesty."

The two girls went into the council room and sat down. Tension filled their air as Crystal folded and unfolded her letter numerous times. A few minutes later the doors opened and everyone they called for came into the room.

"What's going on? Asherian said it was urgent," Edmund said breathlessly. He was doubled over, his hands resting on his knees as he took in deep breaths of air.

Crystal read the letter out loud as they all listened intently. When she finished they all neutral expressions on her face. "How in the world am I going to fight this girl? She can control people for Pete's sake."

"Well, you're Mother Nature, I'm sure you can beat her," Lucy spoke up.

"I'm what?" Crystal asked after a few seconds of silence.

"She's what?" Susan and Edmund repeated at the same time.

"You never knew?" Lucy asked in shock.

"How'd you find out?" Peter asked her.

"Adymn told me," Lucy responded. "Wait, how'd you find out?"

"Elvrond told me."

"Caspian, did you know about this?" Lucy asked him.

"Professor told me a little bit about Mother Nature," Caspian admitted. "But I don't know a lot about her, only that she disappeared years ago."

"Perhaps I should explain," Elvrond spoke up. "You see my wife, her mother, was Mother Nature. Protector of Narnia, Aslan's partner. She is destined to become Mother Nature when the time is right. She harnesses some of her powers all ready, but you're not ready to use them. If you use them now…who knows what will happen."

"So the only reason Isabella holds a grudge over me is because I'm Mother Nature and I'm her natural enemy? Did she know I was going to wind up coming here?" Crystal asked.

"Yes. She got a centaur to show her the future."

"I was saying that I don't think she should go," Susan spoke up. "It could be a trap."

"If it's a way to stop this war then I say let her go, but bring reinforcements with her incase Isabella goes against her word, which she'd probably do," Edmund said as he tapped his chin in thought.

"Are you volunteering?" Crystal asked.

He quickly shook his head. "She's mental. I don't want to be anywhere near her."

"How long until…?" Peter's voice trailed off.

"From our meeting which will be in two days…three days after that," Crystal responded. "She wants to fight at the Fords of Beruna."

"I think Caspian and Peter should go with you," Lucy spoke up. "Caspian because he's a strong fighter. Not that you aren't, Ed," she added when she saw the offended look on his face, "But Caspian has had more time to train and if Peter went, since she fancies him so much, she might change her mind or end up making a mistake."

"Lucy's right. I think it's a good idea,"

"Will you protect her?" Elvrond asked, turning to Caspian.

"I will guard her with my life, your majesty."

"I guess that's it then," Peter said as he let out a breath. "Edmund, tell Glenstorm to get the weapons ready and to send a letter to the Rayuvians to meet us on the way to the Fords of Beruna."

"Got it." Edmund nodded and left the room to carry out his duties.

"Susan, I need you to tell the dwarves and the fauns to get their arrows ready and to make more just in case. Also, tell the blacksmiths to check on their supplies," Peter said as he turned to her. She too, nodded and left the room silently. She and Caspian shared a gaze and she hid her smile as she passed her older brother.

"Are you going to fight with us?" Peter asked Elvrond.

"It would be an honor, but I must stay behind to make sure the women and children are safe. I hope you understand," he responded.

"I do. My mind will be somewhat at rest knowing that why will be safe."

"But they're not the ones you should be worried about." Elvrond stepped around Peter and pulled Crystal towards him in a hug. He held her tight, as if she would disappear if he let go. "Come back to me, I couldn't bear to lose you all ready."

"No pressure." Crystal said with a little laugh. She closed her eyes briefly when he kissed her forehead. "I'll come back, I promise." He smiled, grabbed her hands and squeezed them a little, before walking out of the room.

"I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure nothing happens to you," Peter spoke up. "We'll be there behind you, ready to fight when you need help."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence but that's not what I'm worried about," Crystal said with a small smile.

"Oh? Then what are you worried about?'

"Do I have to wear a dress into battle?"

* * *

**A/N: Yay! 13 pages in Microsoft word! I'm getting better, heheh. I hope you liked the conversation between Susan and Crystal, you finally have more of her background brought into the light. I also wanted something a little more lighthearted at the end before I bring in the hostility and the tension from the upcoming war. Please read and review. **


	20. The Captive

**Chapter 20: The Captive**

"Please come back in one piece," Susan told Caspian as she watched him tack up the horse. He was standing in one stall while Susan stood on the other side, leaning against a post. She had her hand on the necklace that Caspian had given her the night they came back. "I couldn't bear to lose you again."

"I'm not going anywhere, my love," Caspian said as he came out of the stables. He pulled her into a hug and held her right, running his hand through her hair and taking in her intoxicating scent. It took every bit on control in his body to not ravish her then and there. "I'll always come back for you, no matter what happens to me, I'll come back."

"I don't want to let you go," Susan whispered. Caspian kissed her forehead and held her tight. It was as if time froze for them, that their moment together was the last time they would be able to see each other and hold each other. "Caspian–"

"Susan!" Caspian and Susan quickly pulled away and looked in the direction that Peter's voice came from. He pushed open the door to the stables and walked over to them. "I've been looking all over for you. The Rayuvian women need help with their children." His eyes shifted between Susan and Caspian as if he was trying to dig into their minds. "Now," he added when Susan didn't move.

She sighed and fought to keep herself from rolling her eyes. For the past two days Peter has been finding ways to keep Susan and Caspian separated. This was all because he had to find them in bed together. They didn't even do anything and yet Peter was reacting as if Susan had broken a law. There was something about Peter that made it unable for him to understand that she was growing up and she could make her own decisions and her own mistakes.

"Susan!" She turned her head to see Lucy running towards her from the direction of the garden. "Would you like some company?"

"I would, actually. Thanks Lucy," Susan said with a soft smile. Lucy smiled back as she fell into step with her older sister. Susan started talking to her about having to make sure that Cair Paravel was heavily guarded in case Isabella went against her word, but Lucy was only half listening.

She was too busy thinking about James. Actually, she was too busy worrying about him. He just disappeared not telling her where he was so she would be able to contact him in anyway. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't told her where he lived at all. He always kept that from her, even when she flat out asked him to tell her the truth. He always found a way to change the subject.

"Lu, were you listening to what I said?" Susan's voice cut through Lucy's thoughts.

Lucy blushed. She _hadn't_ been listening to Susan at all, but she was going to try and get Susan to believe her. "Um…yes, I agree."

Susan lifted an eyebrow. "You agree to tie up the little Rayuvian kids to make them behave?"

Lucy turned redder. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"I know. What's on your mind anyway?"

"It's…its James," Lucy admitted. "He has me so worried about him. He comes and disappears in a blink of an eye and he never says anything about where he's from. Somehow he was able to find out where I was."

"We're all entitled to our own secrets, Lu."

"I know…but, I just wish…"

"Wait a minute, Lu." Susan placed her hand on Lucy's shoulder to stop her from walking. She studied Lucy's eyes, trying to find out what her sister was thinking. Lucy's eyes were blank as she stared up at her sister, waiting. "Do you like James?" She finally asked.

"Of course I like him," Lucy replied. "He's nice and fun and he's my age so he doesn't act like a grown up." She smiled slightly, indicating that the last part of her sentenced was targeted towards Susan in general.

"You talk about him so much it makes me wonder if…you're fond of him."

Lucy's face turned redder. She couldn't deny that her heart sped up every time she was around him or if anyone mentioned him. She waited hours on end for one of his letters and was always happy whenever it finally arrived. Was this what fancying someone felt like? The feeling was so foreign to Lucy that she had no clue what it was that she was feeling at the time. Was this how Susan felt whenever the boys back at home reached out to her? Was this how she felt towards Caspian? Susan has always said that she was in love with Caspian, is it the same thing or is love an entirely different feeling?

"I'll take your silence as a yes." Susan chuckled. "Little Lucy's growing up," she said as she ruffled Lucy's hair.

"_Stoooop_," Lucy groaned as she moved out of Susan's reach. "You see, this is why I don't talk to you about this stuff."

"Who else can you talk to?" Susan asked. A few seconds later her heart lurched, and not because she saw Caspian, but because she realized that Lucy could've gone to talk to Crystal about it. She felt hurt that Lucy wouldn't want to talk to her about her problems, her actual big sister. She knew that she shouldn't be jealous of her friend, but she couldn't help it. There was never a time where Lucy couldn't go to her with her problems, so why did she start now?

Lucy noticed the semi-hurt look on Susan's face. "Su, I didn't mean–"

"I know what you meant," Susan interrupted her, running her fingers through her hair. "I better go and do what Peter said before he finds something else for me to do." She lifted up the front of her dress and hurried up the stairs. She could hear some of the children's screams of joy and she could imagine the Rayuvian women close to pulling their hair out.

"Why's he making you do so many jobs lately?" Lucy asked, running after Susan.

"Because…" Susan stopped herself. Did she really want to tell Lucy the real reason Peter was on her case lately? Susan deiced against it. She didn't want to have to tell Lucy anything she wasn't ready for. "Because he wants me us to make sure this castle is left standing when they come back so they wouldn't have to worry while they're gone." She hated lying to Lucy, but she didn't want to tell her the truth either. She knew if she told her the truth than a river of anger words directed towards Peter would fall out of her mouth and she wouldn't be able to control it. She never dreamed that she would ever speak ill of Peter, but he was trying to control her life and she wouldn't have it. She'd slap some sense into him if she could.

"Do you need help with whatever you're going to do?"

"No, Luce, I'm fine." Susan rushed up the stairs that were in the Great Hall to get to the nursery. Many of the Rayuvian children were older so they didn't have to stay in the nursery, but it was better to have them all there at one time so they could play while the mothers watched over the younger ones. Susan gently pushed open the door to the Nursery and stepped in. It became a rule to do so after Edmund shoved the door open and caught a little one behind it. He said he was sorry but they could all tell he thought it was funny. "Hello. I came to see if you needed any help," she said with a small smile, forcing her negative thoughts out of her head.

"Good morning, Queen Susan," the little kids greeted her happily with bows and curtsies.

"Queen Susan, do you like my new dress?" A bubbly blond haired, blue eyed girl asked as she spun around to show off her dress to Susan.

"Oh Ariella, I love it," Susan gushed as she knelt to hug the little girl. "It brings out your beautiful blue eyes."

"That's what Mommy said!" Susan smiled and picked up the little girl. She walked over to an empty chair and sat down, gently rocking the child. "Do you think I'm pretty?" Ariella asked innocently as she messed with the hem of her dress.

"I think you're beautiful," Susan responded as she lightly stroked her hair.

"I'm going to marry King Peter one day," she announced. "That way I can be your sister! Wouldn't that be so great?"

"That would be wonderful." Susan laughed at Ariella's optimism as she watched the other little kids running around the room and playing. She smiled at some of the mothers who were gently rocking their babies or feeding them. She missed the days when they were young and everything was so simple. They didn't have to worry about going off to war, fighting, or anything dangerous. She missed the simplicity; the only thing she had to worry about was how much to study, what to study, and to make sure she had her work done on time.

"Queen Susan, will King Peter and King Caspian come back?" A little boy asked, tugging at the hem of her dress.

"Of course they'll come back," she told them, silently biting her tongue. Isabella was strong, manipulative, and cunning. She was the one who managed to frame Edmund when she was the one who broke a statue that was given to the kings and queens of Old as a tribute from King Caspian. Susan still couldn't get the angered look that was on Edmund's face out of her mind because he hadn't given them that look in years. Maybe it was the affect that Narnia had on them all, it was as if they were moving on with their lives while Susan was being left in the background, like _she_ was the young one. Edmund doesn't bother her anymore; he used to make it his hobby to see how much he could annoy her before he pushes her past his limit. Lucy used to always go to her for help or just to talk. Peter…he used to always check in on her, take walks with her, go horseback riding with her, and practically act like a kid with her. It was like they all drifted apart. She knew that their family was still close, but Susan couldn't feel their strong bond anymore. Maybe this is what they needed, some time apart from each other for them to realize that what they really needed was each other.

* * *

"We are ready to go, Sire," Glenstorm announced, standing tall in front of Peter. "The troops are ready for your command."

"My group and I would like to come along, your majesty," Reepicheep announced, standing tall and proud as his partners bowed. "If anyone tries to sneak up on your, we can take them down before they do any damage."

"Thank you, Reepicheep. Your presence is appreciated." Peter walked over to where Edmund, Lucy, and Susan were standing. He took in a deep breath to stop the tears that suddenly reached his eyes from falling. He didn't know why he was crying now when he hadn't cried over anything in years. He took another deep breath and forced a smile.

"Why so glum?" Peter asked, lifting Lucy's chin. "We'll be back before you know it. We'll stop this war before it starts."

"You see so sure of yourself," Edmund commented.

"Of course I'm sure." Peter's eyes flickered over to where Caspian held Susan in a tight embrace. His lip twitched slightly before he glanced back at Edmund. "Why do you think otherwise?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time you were sure of something you almost led us off of a cliff at River Rush," Edmund replied as a smile slowly formed on his face.

"Are you ever going to let me forget that?" Peter asked with a small eye roll and a smile.

"No." Edmund shook his head. "It's what I'm around for: to remind you of your past failures and for me to laugh at you. Especially because I'm never wrong."

"Excuse me?" Peter said with a laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Who was the one who decided to follow the White Stag? Who was the one who started that stampede? Who was the one–?"

"Ok, so I made a _few_ mistakes. I'm only human, sue me."

Peter chuckled before pulling him into a hug. Edmund stiffened slightly before hugging his brother back. Peter was used to that reaction from Edmund. He got used to their hugs abut he still wasn't a touchy-feely type of person. He liked to believe that he was above all of that, but Peter could see right through him.

"Take care of your sisters, ok?" He whispered in Edmund's ear. Edmund nodded as Peter turned to Susan.

"Don't do anything stupid," Susan warned.

"Why must you always think I'm going to do something stupid?" Peter questioned, shaking his head slowly. "Honestly, one day you're going to bring down my self-esteem."

"That's not possible, you have too much of it."

Peter laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her head and let out a slow breath. He knew that they would be safe at Cair Paravel, even when they were gone. They still had Edmund with them and he was an excellent fighter.

"Peter." He let go of Susan to move over to her. "Come back in one piece," Lucy said as she lunged forward, almost knocking him over with her hug.

"Don't I always, Lu?" He asked with a little laugh. She nodded and wiped a tear away from her eye, a smile coming to her face.

Crystal stood by watching, a smile was on her face but pangs of jealousy beat at her heart. She hated feeling envious of her friends and their close family bond, but she couldn't do anything about it. She forced her smile to stay on her face when really she wanted to run back home to England and wish nothing like that ever happened. She still didn't fit in at Cair Paravel, some of the inhabitants saw her as an outsider and treated her differently when she was alone rather the when she was with her friends. She sighed and got onto her horse's back, wincing slightly at the chainmail that was digging into her ribs.

"You think you're going to leave without saying goodbye? What kind of friend are you?" Edmund asked with a smile, stepping up next to her horse.

"What's the point of saying goodbye if I'm going to come back?" Crystal asked with a smile of her own as she kept her horse steady.

"You don't know what can happen out there," he told her, taking a surprisingly serious tone, even for him. "If I'm correct, Isabella will do anything to get rid of you before you can get to her. You have to stay on your guard."

"No pressure," she muttered sarcastically.

"I'm just looking out for you." He shrugged before digging into his pockets. "Here." She took the object from his hand and looked at it. It was a necklace, at the bottom was a design made out of silver that reminded her of a Celtic knot design. At the bottom hung a sapphire, shining brightly from the sunshine that seemed to hit the stone perfectly. "We got a blacksmith to make it for you, which is kind of strange now that I think about it."

"What's the occasion?" She asked, tilting her head to clasp the piece of jewelry around her neck.

"It's your birthday," Edmund replied, giving her a confused look. Crystal mirrored the look. "The 16th, that's today. It's your birthday."

"Today's my…" her voice trailed off as she quickly went through the days in her head. Being in Narnia, time seemed to melt for her until she didn't pay attention to what the date was. "You're right."

"We'll have a big celebration once this is all over," Susan announced.

"We can get started on the preparations while you're away," Lucy added. "So you have something to come back to."

"Peter, we have to move out," Caspian broke into their conversation.

Peter nodded and lifted himself up onto Ashen's back. Caspian got onto his horse and looked over at Peter, waiting for him to signal them out. He glanced at Susan once more and locked eyes with her. It was as if they were having a deep meaningful conversation with their eyes, they didn't blink at all.

"Let's go," Peter called, nodding to Glenstorm who nodded back. He urged Ashen forward and she took off over the grassy hill. Peter forced himself not to look back as he bounced on Ashen's back, his blond hair pushed back off of his face and his cheeks flushed. He was more clam than he normally was, his heart was ramming against his chest. Maybe it was because it actually wasn't his battle that he was riding to, for the first time ever.

Caspian and Crystal rode behind Peter, watching as the landscape slowly changed from grassy hills to far away mountains, to the maze of woods. They slowed down to a trot, moving slowly over fallen logs as they moved single-file through the woods. Some centaurs were ahead of them and somewhere behind, in case they were attacked from any angle.

"Caspian." He lifted his head and looked at Crystal who was moving slowly next to him. The path had gotten wide enough so they could move two-by-two. "Susan has told me about your family and how they've helped you. I've always wanted to know…how you dealt with an Uncle as a traitor and how your family was taken away from you, so to speak."

"My Mother died when I was young so I was raised under the watchful eye of a Nurse. Then my father was killed a few years later. Miraz was kind to me at first. I didn't suspect anything, not even when he refused that I learn anything about the Kings and Queens of Old. It was only when I learned of his desire of a son did the castle felt lonely to me. I had no one to play with, no one to learn with. I spent many hours training and learning the ways of a fighter. Miraz kept me busy with work, but it didn't stop me from missing my Father and my Mother." He paused. "When I see Susan with her family, it makes me wonder what my life would be like if I had any brothers or sisters, or if I had the close bond with my family that they have with theirs."

"You'd get the family you never had once you marry Susan," Crystal said with a small smile. "When is your wedding anyway? I'm sure Susan has most of the plans set."

"I still have to ask for Peter's permission," Caspian said, nodding at the back of the blonde's head. "I don't know if he'll allow me to marry her."

"He's going to have to let go of her eventually," she explained. "Peter, being the oldest, has an instinctive, protective hold over his family, especially his sisters. He knows that you can protect Susan if the need ever comes up, so he will give you his permission, eventually. He just needs you to prove to him that you're right for Susan. Although, I doubt he'd trust her with any other Narnian suitor."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Susan told me that you grew up in a tough situation."

"I hardly call my situation tough. Sure, my real Dad died, my Mom left a lot, she got remarried, and then she left again, but I had someone who cared about me with me so I was always taken care of." Crystal shrugged. "And if it weren't for her I wouldn't have found out that I was born here and that Elvrond's my dad."

"When all this is over…would you go back home or stay here?"

Before Crystal could answer a whizzing sound filled the air. Crystal felt a gentle breeze on her neck for a split second before the distinctive sound of an arrow being embedded into a tree reached their ears. They turned their head to see one stuck in a tree by Caspian's head, shaking violently.

"Sire, go on! We'll see who the scoundrels are!" Reepicheep said as he tilted his hat and raised his sword, the other mice doing the same.

Many arrows flew at them and Peter urged the group forward, dodging the flying arrows as Reepicheep and the mice disappeared in the brush. The thunder of hooves matched the frantic beating of Crystal's heart as the whizzing of arrows got louder and louder the faster they moved, it was as if they were being chased. The wind picked up along with dust. The wind became a strong force and the dust blew with it, creating a wall of dust between them and their attackers.

They dashed out of the forest and into a clear area, turning around to face whoever it was that was attacking them. They were all panting heavily. "Where did that wind come from?" Caspian asked, looking around.

"I think…it came from me," Crystal muttered.

"You saved us, thanks," Peter said, nodding in her direction.

"You were going to need saving sooner or later," she responded.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're as stubborn as a mule."

"We have to go back and see who it was," Peter announced as the dust slowly cleared away.

"Do you hear that?" Crystal asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Hear what?" He asked impatiently.

"You throwing common sense out the window," she responded with massive amounts of 'duh' in her voice. "We can't go back at whoever is trying to _kill us_!"

"More like kill _you_!"

"Stop!" Caspian shouted, stopping their argument before it could escalate any further. "I'll go see who it was."

"I'll come with you," Glenstorm announced, pulling his sword out of its sheath and followed Caspian into the woods.

The two waited, biting their lips as Caspian and Glenstorm took off, disappearing into the tree line in a matter of seconds. Silence stretched on as they waited for sounds or tell-tale signs that they were going to come back.

"Why must you always pick a fight with me?" Peter demanded.

"Because you always start it?" Crystal replied without looking at him, keeping a hand on the necklace that matched her father's it became second nature to her to clutch it whenever something worried her.

"Why is it your first instinct to fight, anyway? I never understood that about you,"

"Why change the subject?" She asked, her guard was up and her voice was tense.

"I'm trying to get you to relax."

"You'd be ready to jump out of your skin if you were just shot at," she growled. Peter sighed. "To answer your question, it's what my mother taught me: never let your guard down or you'll get hurt. I decided to hurt others before they hurt me."

"What if you hurt someone when they didn't have the intention of hurting you in the first place?" He asked softly. She turned to look at him. Once they locked eyes he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to say something, but he was stopped when there was a loud sound of clashing metal before a cry of pain.

The two instinctively ran to the edge of the forest, drawing their swords as the same time only to be met with Caspian and Glenstorm. They were dragging a body with them by its legs. Reepicheep was standing on the person's stomach, pointing his sword at the person's mouth.

"Was this the one shooting at us?" Peter asked, holding his sword out.

"Affirmative, Sire," Glenstorm replied turning to glare at the man.

"Who is he?" Crystal asked.

"My cousin," Caspian replied.


	21. Edmund and Elvrond

**Chapter 21: Edmund and Elvrond**

"Edmund…you want to help prepare for her birthday party?" Susan asked with wide eyes. She and Lucy exchanged shocked glances before looking at him again. He sighed and rolled his eyes. He expected that reaction from his sisters. It wasn't every day that he wanted to help Susan prepare for any event around the castle. He tried to avoid it by either hiding in the library or in his room (they didn't know that he had a secret room used in case the castle was broken into).

"Yes," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because you're you?" Lucy supplied. "You don't like helping prepare for something, as you say, so girly." She paused and a slow smile came to her face. "Unless there's another reason…"

"Don't start, Lu," Edmund said in a warning tone. "I'm not the one who fancies her, Peter is."

"What?" Susan rushed over to him and grabbed his arm. He flinched when she dug her fingers into his arm and looked at him. "Are you sure? Did he say it himself?"

"No. You know Peter, he won't admit to anything unless he's 100% sure about it," Edmund replied with a small eye roll. "Like I said, I want to help. Whatever you need me to do I'll do it."

Lucy and Susan exchanged a look as if they were having a conversation through their eyes. Edmund stood by impatiently tapping his foot, rolling his neck, and sighing every now and then. He knew that he was only being put through the wait because the girls knew how impatient he was. He knew that they would make him carry things from one room to another, it was the job he was always left with so why was it taking them so long for them to tell him that?

"Ok, we're going to let you do something different," Lucy said once she and Susan turned to look at their brother.

"You have to send out the announcements," Susan continued. "She won't expect to come back to a party so we have to make sure a lot of people are here. We want her to get to know some of the other Narnians." Edmund nodded slowly. "Also, we need you to speak to Elvrond."

"Elvrond?" Edmund repeated. "Why?"

"Well, he's going to want to bring in some suitors for her," Susan responded. "Rayuvian women get married earlier than we do and I know that she's going to throw a fit once she finds out. You have to try and convince him that there won't be any suitors arriving."

"That's easier said than done," Edmund sighed.

"Why? Are you afraid of Elvrond or something?" Lucy questioned with a slight tilt to her head.

"No…it's just, he's her father. I can't really interfere in his decisions can I?" He questioned. Susan and Lucy remained silent. "I could probably sway his decision but I can't make him change it all together. She's not _my_ daughter."

"But you're her friend," Lucy corrected. "You know her better than he does. He wasn't there for most of her life, _we_ were, so you know that she would like and what she wouldn't."

"Ok," Edmund sighed. "Do you know where he is? I'd rather get that part over with first."

"I think I saw him in the garden."

"Thanks." Edmund then turned and made his way out of the castle as fast as he could before they decided to change their mind and make him carry the heavy objects. He ran down the front stairs so fast that he almost slid down the bottom stairs but he managed to keep his balance and run all the way to the garden. He was doubled over, panting heavily, by the time he reached Elvrond who was standing by the daisies.

"What is it, Edmund?" Elvrond asked, looking down at the dark haired boy with a curious expression on his face.

"Um…I wanted…to talk…about…Crystal's…birthday," he managed to get out in between his breaths of air. He let out a long breath before standing up and looking at Elvrond. "About her party, actually."

"I assure that I am not the one who you should be going to if you want to know what she would like at a party," Elvrond said with a chuckle.

"Um…that goes along with what I wanted to discuss with you," Edmund said as he bit his lip. "I heard from Susan that Rayuvian women meet their suitors at age sixteen instead of eighteen."

"That is correct," Elvrond confirmed with a nod.

"Well, um, we were kind of wondering…that is _Susan_ wanted me to ask…well, she–" Edmund stammered.

Elvrond held up his hand to silence the young king. Elvrond's large rings sparkled in the sunlight and momentarily had Edmund in a trance-like state. Only when Elvrond lowered his hand did it seem like Edmund managed to break his trance.

"It is tradition that the women of Rayuvial get matched with a suitor once they turn sixteen. Of course, there are ways around that rule," Elvrond said with a pleasant smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Although, it is customary for any potential suitor to grace the woman with his presence in case she does potentially find someone she could consider her future husband. I'm sorry, but I can't change that aspect of our traditions. Not even for someone as Just as you, Edmund."

Edmund stared at the king in confusion as Elvrond chuckled. Edmund let the words sink in until his mouth fell open. "Wait, I didn't say anything about you changing your traditions or anything. I'm just saying…that being set up isn't her thing. She doesn't even like meeting new people."

"I understand that, Edmund," Elvrond said as he continued walking, urging Edmund to rush and catch up with him. "But understand that she's my daughter. Yes, it's true that I haven't been around her since she was born but I believe that she can make her own decisions while respecting my own." He paused. "Unless there's another reason why you don't want her to go through with our traditions. She seems eager to learn about her other world."

Edmund squinted so much that it turned into a glare. "Why do you all assume that I fancy Crystal? 'Cause I don't, Peter does. She's just my friend."

"And yet you make people think otherwise by how fast you defend yourself," Elvrond pointed out with a sly smile. Edmund stuttered as his face burned a brilliant shade of red. Elvrond merely chuckled as he plucked a flower out of its bed and spun it in between his finger and thumb. "Edmund, there is still a lot you have to learn about women."


	22. Battle Royal Part 1

**Chapter 22: Battle Royale Part I**

Peter sat silently, staring hard at Caspian's cousin, who has yet to tell them their name. How could they be sure that he's really Caspian's cousin? The last time Peter saw Caspian's cousin, he was only a baby. Yet, standing in front of him was a grown man, body carved with muscles and tired eyes filled with relief.

Caspian was talking quietly with him while Reepicheep stood by; his sword still raised waiting to see if he would need to attack. Crystal and Peter stood off to the side, assessing the scene in front of them quietly.

"I don't trust him," Crystal finally blurted out.

"For once I agree with you," Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He can't be Caspian's cousin."

"Why not?" Crystal asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"He left Narnia the same time we did last time," Peter replied, tapping his fingers on the handle of Rhindon. "He was a baby then. I know that Narnia time and our time are different but he couldn't have grown up that fast."

"You said so yourself that Narnia time and our time is different. Maybe a spell or something was put over him so he'd grow up faster?" She suggested, shrugging.

"But _why_?"

Before Crystal could reply Caspian and his cousin turned towards the two and walked in their direction. Reepicheep kept his sword up just in case he needed to use it. "Peter, Crystal, this is my cousin Aral. Aral, this is High King Peter and Lady Crystal."

"It is an honor to meet you, sire," Aral said as he grasped Peter's hand and bowed politely.

"Why have you come?" Peter demanded, studying Aral.

"I was summoned from my home," Aral replied. "I was given specific instructions to come find you. It's taken me days to figure out where you were and the journey was tiresome, but I am honored to have finally found you."

"Caspian, may I speak with you for a second?" Peter demanded, never taking his eyes off of Aral. He exchanged a look with Aral before nodding and following the High King a few paces away.

"Did I do something?" Aral asked, looking over at Crystal who was sitting down on a rock, her chin propped up with her hands.

"It's hard for Peter for trust people right off the bat," Crystal replied. "Don't take it personally. He always has his guard up when he meets new people, and for good reason."

Aral studied her face. A slightly annoyed look crossed her features when she spoke about Peter yet a look of admiration was also on her face. He hesitated before asking, "Caspian introduced you as 'Lady Crystal', are you the High King's lady?"

"No," she replied automatically, as if waiting for him to ask the question. "He's just a friend, I grew up with him."

"Feelings change over time," Aral said with a shrug and a small smile. "I would know. At first my Mother didn't want anything to do with my Father. They fought a lot as they grew up but their fighting ended up turning into love. They fight every now and then but their fighting just makes their love stronger."

Crystal stared at him. "What does that have anything to do with me?"

Aral just grinned before lifting his eyes in the direction that Peter and Caspian were coming from. Crystal wiped off the seat of her dress once she stood and waited for one of them to speak. Peter looked at Caspian before opening his mouth. "Aral, you may come with us, we could use your strength."

"Did you happen to forget that he shot arrows at us?" Crystal asked, raising her eyebrow. It wasn't like Peter to trust someone right off the bat.

"Caspian says we should trust him," Peter said as he lowered his voice so they wouldn't hear him.

"Yeah, but what do _you_ say?" Peter sucked in his breath and held her gaze. She could practically see into his mind that he was in a conflict over what was the right decision. "I'll back you up on whatever you choose, you know that. Just know that I won't hesitate to say 'I told you so' when I'm right."

"_If_ you're right," he corrected her.

"No, I mean _when_."

He couldn't stop the smile that came onto his face and he chuckled a bit. Crystal went over to her horse when she noticed Glenstorm moving in their direction. Peter tore his eyes away from her and looked at the centaur. "Yes?" He questioned.

"We should get going," the centaur replied. "I think we should get to the Ford as soon as possible. Lady Crystal's fight is the day after tomorrow. The sooner we get there the sooner she can get ready." Peter nodded and started to turn. "Sire?" Peter turned back around. "Do you find it wise allowing her to fight?"

"I don't understand," Peter said as he blinked in confusion.

"The lady hasn't been here for long. Even though she is from Narnia she isn't accustomed to our ways. I don't know if she'll be able to handle fighting Isabella. I don't doubt that she has a few tricks up her sleeve to make sure she wins this fight."

"There isn't much we can do," Peter admitted. "None of us can fight for her, Isabella made that part clear. We just have to stand by and wait just in case she uses it as an excuse to ambush us I guess." Glenstorm nodded and pressed his lips together. "I'm ready to go if you are."

Glenstorm nodded again and went to tell the others that they were ready to go. Peter hoisted himself onto Ashen's back and looked around at their group. He squinted slightly as he watched Aral help Crystal onto Dava's back. He shook his head and flicked the reins against Ashen's back to signal her to go.

* * *

"How much longer until we get there?" Peter asked Glenstorm although he kept an eye on Aral. Caspian's cousin hadn't given them any trouble since they met up, but something about him made his stomach clench whenever he laid eyes on the exotic looking man. Was it because he was a little bit too helpful? He jumped at the chance to give out a suggestion or any piece of information that he had whenever they stopped to rest. Or was it because he hadn't left Crystal's side since he joined the group.

"We should make it there by the time the sun rises over that mountain," Glenstorm replied, pointing to the tallest mountain in the distance.

Peter nodded and tossed the stick he was holding into the fire that was blazing in front of them. He lifted his eyes when he heard Crystal's laugh. He clenched his teeth together when he saw the satisfied smile on Aral's face as Crystal laughed. He got up and walked over to them. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked Crystal though clenched teeth.

"Sure." She stood and brushed off her dress, following him away from the fire. She shivered slightly at the temperature change and rubbed her arms. "What's wrong?" She asked once he turned around to face her.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Peter asked.

"The fact that you look like you want to kill someone," she replied. Peter opened his mouth to deny her accusation but she held up her hand. "What is it, Peter? You know you can tell me."

Peter sighed. "I think you're getting too close to Aral," he finally stated, looking her in the eye.

She scoffed. "I'm not getting too close to him. I'm just talking to him, that's all. It's nice to have someone here who knows what I'm going through."

"Who knows what you're going through?" Peter repeated, raising his eyebrows. She nodded. "And I don't know?"

"No! You don't. You want to know why?"

"Yes. Please enlighten me!" Peter glared.

"Because you've been here before! You've reigned for years; you know everything about this place. I barely know anything. All that I knows is that I was born here, moved to our home in Finchley, then I'm whisked back here and am told that I'm supposed to protect Narnia beside Aslan. I don't know what the heck I'm supposed to do and right now I'm on my way to my possible death! Aral, he knows what it's like to suddenly get pulled into a different world and get told the truth that he was denied before."

"Have you ever considered that he's working for Isabella?"

Crystal scoffed. "You're losing it! You know what; I don't think this has anything to do with Aral."

"You don't?"

"No. This has to do with _you_!" She pointed an accusing finger in his face.

"Me?" He demanded, shoving her finger out of the way and taking a step closer to her so they were almost nose to nose.

"Yeah, you. _You're_ the one who wanted him here in the first place. I didn't think it was a good idea but just because you're High King we had to do what you say. Now I decide to just talk to him and you go mental! What's your problem?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

"I don't have a problem; _you're_ the one with the problem ignoring the task at hand because you're talking to _him_." Peter waved his arm in Aral's direction. A slow smile spread across her face which only ticked Peter off even more, they were in the middle of a fight weren't they? "What're you smiling about?"

"I get it," she replied. "You're jealous."

Peter's lip twitched slightly. "Jealous? O-of what?" He spluttered.

"Not what, whom." She tilted her head slightly, her blue eyes dancing in amusement. "You're jealous of me talking to Aral. You're jealous of the fact that I have something in common with him."

"Oh, you're way off base there," Peter said as he shook his head.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So would you mind explaining to me why you've been in a mood since he got here, because jealousy is the only explanation?" Peter stayed silent and let his eyes speak the volumes of annoyance he was feeling inside. "You can't even think of an explanation because you're so jealous. That's not a virtue I'd expect in Narnia's High King," she continued in a mocking tone.

"Shut up!" Peter hissed.

"Make me," she challenged, sticking her neck out a little so they were nose to nose. She chuckled. "Same ol' Peter, can't even follow through with a simple thre–"

Peter grabbed her face and slammed his lips against her as he squeezed his eyes shut. He pressed harder and harder. His heart felt like it was going to beat itself out of his ribcage. She stood, stunned, as he held her face. She slowly uncrossed her arms and slid them around his neck, pulling him closer. He pulled away slightly to catch his breath and looked at her through half-lidded eyes. He closed the gap between them and kissed her again, gentler this time. He slid his hands to her waist and pulled her closer so their bodies were touching as she shyly kissed him back, savoring on the taste of his lips. Suddenly the thought of fighting Isabella left her mind and all she wanted to do was stay in that moment.


	23. Battle Royal Part 2

**Chapter 23: Battle Royal Part II**

_What have I done? What. Have. I. Done?_ Peter kept asking himself that question. He just couldn't wrap his head around what he had done. It wasn't like he had committed a crime or something, but he was still in shock. He did it to keep her quiet, at least that's what he kept telling himself.

And what about the way his heart skipped a beat once he kissed her? That's what confused him the most, the reaction. He didn't expect it at all. Heck, he didn't even expect to kiss her in the first place. He just wanted to get her to be quiet, to stop making fun of him, to stop putting him down like always…

He shook his head and let out a long breath. Glancing around he saw that everyone was still asleep. A few centaurs were awake on their shift to guard everyone else while they slept. Peter nodded at them, signaling that he would be right back and he was armed in case something happened. Right now he needed to get away from everything and clear his head.

He backtracked and found his way to the river once more. He stared down at his reflection illuminated by the moonlight. He knelt down, dipped his hands in the water, and splashed his face. He repeated the process a few times as if splashing water in his face would wake him up from a nightmare. But it wasn't, it was reality. _What did I do?_

He ran a hand through his hair and let out another long breath trying to figure out what to do. His heart was torn. One side of him wanted to wake her up, hold her tight, tell her everything was going to be ok, and kiss her again. The other part of him told him to stay put and what he did was purely based on fear for the inevitable and it really meant nothing at all. But he didn't know if he was convincing _her _or himself.

"Hey." Peter flinched and almost fell into the water. He stood and turned quickly; letting out a sigh of relief when he found out that it was only Caspian behind him. "I did not mean to frighten you."

"It's OK," Peter said, trying to calm his racing heart. "Uh…what was it you wanted?"

"Isabella has the Others on her side," Caspian replied. "Who knows what tricks she has up her sleeve? She wants to fight Lady Crystal one on one but I wouldn't trust her. She could easily use that as a cover to get the Others to attack us if not the castle."

"I know, I was thinking the same thing," Peter admitted. Not really but Caspian didn't need to know that. "We have a large group with us just incase she turns her back on her word. We're just going to have to pray that it doesn't come down to having to use them." Caspian nodded but didn't take his eyes off of Peter. Peter lifted his eyebrows. "That's not all you wanted to talk to me about, is it?"

Caspian shook his head. "No, my Lord."

Peter sighed. "What's on your mind?"

Caspian motioned for Peter to sit down and he did so, never taking his eyes off of Caspian. Caspian fidgeted a bit under Peter's gaze. Finally he sighed and started talking. "It is about your sister…Queen Susan." Peter made a snorting sound and Caspian paused he continued when Peter didn't say anything. "I understand that this isn't the perfect time to be asking this but I must know if you will allow me to take Susan's hand in marriage?"

Peter sucked in his breath. He knew this was coming eventually, he could feel it in his bones. He _knew_ it was coming but he didn't know _when_ and this certainly wasn't the best time. His mind was in other places now there was no way he would be able to focus on this let alone give a good answer. Of course he wanted Susan to be happy but at the same time he didn't really know Caspian.

"I know…that you'll be good for Susan," Peter said slowly as Caspian waited, staring intently. "But I can't give you my decision now. I hope you understand…"

Caspian nodded. "I understand perfectly, my Lord. At a better time."

"Right, a better time."

The two men stood there, awkward silence building between them. Suddenly the sound of flapping wings filled the air. They turned their heads to the dark sky and tensed, watching the black bird-shapes move through the air.

"We've got company, boys," Crystal announced, appearing a few paces away from them. They instantly tensed as well, kept their hands on their swords, and followed Crystal back up the bank, keeping their eyes in front of them in case something was going to jump out at them. Once they reached the area where their group was sitting Peter noticed that all of the centaurs and minotaurs were standing in a semi circle, their hands tight on their weapons. Across the large semi circle stood a lone figure.

Isabella.

Crystal hovered at the edge of the semi-circle, her hand lightly touching the top of her sword as she stared across the clearing at Isabella. The moon and stars lit up the sky, giving everything a pale glow. A light breeze caused a whistling sound to start up in everyone's ears as they stood by, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"I have to say I'm surprised you decided to show up," Isabella called across the clearing. Her voice carried all the way over to where they were. Her voice was loud, so loud it was almost as if she were standing right next to them.

"You're threatening my home, why wouldn't I show up?" Crystal called back, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Cair Paravel isn't your home. It's mine," Isabella shot back.

"How, exactly? I don't see your name anywhere and you aren't related to the Kings and Queens of Old," Crystal said calmly.

Isabella bristled slightly but kept the cold look in her eyes. "I don't have to be related to any of them. But if you must know, once I'm through with you, King Peter will be my husband and then I'll be High Queen of Narnia."

"And if I refuse to let that happen?"

Isabella smirked. "Well, there really isn't much you can do. You'll be dead once I marry King Peter. And his precious brother and sisters won't be able to do anything about it but accept me."

"Right, by controlling them and not giving them," Crystal said with an eye roll. She could feel everyone's eyes on her but she had to stall as much as possibly could. She didn't really have a battle plan formed at all so she was talking her way out of a fight until she could think of one.

Isabella crossed her arms over her chest. "What's wrong with that?"

"Would you rather have them accept you without having to control them?" Crystal asked, tilting her head slightly. "Unlike your friends whom you had to trick into getting on your side. How long did it take for you to take over their minds? For Evlyn I guess it didn't work that long, did it, seeing as she hates you now? Bring her brother into it as well? Little James, a pity." She slowly shook her head as Isabella clenched her hands into fists. "How long will it take until your hold on Amelia to break? Or your father? Surely he knows that what you're doing is wrong."

"You keep my father out of this!" Isabella shouted. A crack had formed in her mask.

"What is she doing?" Aral asked in a whisper.

"She's stalling," Peter replied, not taking his eyes off of the two women who were still staring each other down.

"Why doesn't she just fight Isabella?" Caspian questioned.

"Crystal doesn't want to use her sword unless she feels threatened," Peter explained as if everything made perfect sense. "She's trying to get Isabella angry to see what she has up her sleeve so she can get the upper hand." He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I just hope she doesn't get too cocky."

That was the least of his problems. He was overcome with worry. His palms were sweating, his breath was coming out short and his heart was practically throwing itself against his ribcage. The last thing he wanted was to see her get hurt in any way but he had no choice, this was her battle, not his. He couldn't go anything but sit back and watch and that about killed him.

"Why? You don't want to admit that he's a wuss for letting his daughter push him around." Crystal smiled a little as Isabella started to shake in anger. "Daddy, this boy doesn't like me. I want you tp punish his kingdom until he likes me," she mocked, keeping her eyes trained on Isabella who was turning red with rage. "Daddy, I don't have friends so I'm going to use my powers to make them my friends and you can't stop me. Daddy I–"

She stopped in mid-sentence as her eyes grew wide. Everyone tensed as they watched the raven haired girl slowly double over and hold her head as if she were in pain. Isabella calmly stood where she was, her hand outstretched, palm out, slowly closing her fingers. A shadow of a sadistic smile was on her face as her fingers slowly closed even more.

Crystal was on her knees now, holding her head tightly in her hands. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her teeth were clenched. It felt like little explosions were going off throughout her body and left a burning feeling that intensified every time a new explosion erupted. Tears started to leak out of the corner of her eyes as she struggled to find energy to get to her feet.

_Come on, come on. Get up. Please, Crystal, please…_Peter begged in his head as he watched the fight carry on.

"Might as well give up now, sweetie, Cair Paravel, the position of High Queen, and King Peter are all _mine_," Isabella taunted.

Crystal slapped a palm against the ground as she let out a scream of pain. Something in the atmosphere shifted. The centaurs and fauns shifted on their feet as they looked around as if they could feel something coming. In the distance a low rumbling sound was heard, such as one of my many trains that Peter has heard while waiting to be taken to school. The rumbling steadily got louder and with the rumbling the earth started to shake. The louder the rumbling got the more the shaking intensified. It got strong enough that they were stumbling around to keep their balance. Isabella's hand started to shake around as she tried to concentrate. Crystal could feel the pain slowly going again. She brought her other hand to the ground and slowly opened her eyes. She was amazed to see that her right hand glowed a light brown color. She slowly scrunched her fingers and the trembling of the earth ebbed away until nothing was shaking any longer and her hand was curled into a fist.

After catching her breath, Crystal slowly pushed herself back onto her shaky feet and grinned at Isabella. Isabella stared at Crystal, her mouth hung open in shock. She quickly dropped her hand and reassembled the mask that was on her face. Tension in the air was so thick Peter could hardly breathe. They were evenly matched, he knew, Isabella may even have a slight upper hand for knowing how to control her power whereas Crystal just learned about hers.

"Did I hurt a sore spot, _Bella_?" Crystal asked, tauntingly, panting a bit.

"Don't...call…me…_Bella!" _Isabella snarled before jutting out both of her palms. As if hit on the chest with an invisible force Crystal was sent flying backwards and landed hard on the ground. Her hand immediately went to the sword that was on her hip but pain exploding inside of her made her stop once more. The next thing she knew one of Isabella's henchmen, Carlisle, was hovering above her, a malicious smile on his face. A sword was held in his hands and was pointed at her neck. Crystal tried to move but her body felt like it was filled with lead as fear stated to fill her.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick," Carlisle said happily, drawing the sword up above his head.

Crystal closed her eyes.


	24. Mind Games

**Chapter 24: Mind Games**

"Don't...call…me…_Bella!" _Isabella snarled before jutting out both of her palms. As if hit on the chest with an invisible force, Crystal was sent flying backwards and landed hard on the ground. Her hand immediately went to the sword that was on her hip but pain exploding inside of her made her stop once more. The next thing she knew one of Isabella's henchmen, Carlisle, was hovering above her, a malicious smile on his face. A sword was held in his hands and was pointed at her neck. Crystal tried to move but her body felt like it was filled with lead as fear stated to fill her.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick," Carlisle said happily, drawing the sword up above his head.

Crystal closed her eyes.

She heard metal connecting with metal and the weight was pulled off of her as Isabella's scream of pain reached her ears. She opened her eyes and took in a suck of air, letting it out quickly and taking in another breath. She and saw Caspian and Peter standing in front of her, their swords raised in front of them.

"What…are you two doing? This is a fight between me and Isabella," Crystal managed to get out through clenched teeth.

"I said I wouldn't interfere with your fight with _her. _Carlisle isn't Isabella," Peter replied, keeping his eyes on the man who jumped back, his sword held tightly in his hand.

"This is _my _fight, Peter."

"Not anymore. You have to learn to accept help even when you don't need it."

"And _this_ is coming from the biggest hypocrite."

"Enough!" Isabella spat. "Fine, I'll just get you pests out of the way and take care of Crystal myself. Wolves, attack!" Peter and Caspian tensed as the large wolves by her side charged forward. With a small tilt of his head Peter, Caspian and their army ran forward, ready to take the Wolves head on. Before Crystal could even move Isabella had appeared in front of her.

"How-?" Crystal managed to utter before Isabella sent a fist into her stomach. She doubled over in pain at the force of the punch and fell to her knees, gasping for air. "Isabella…you don't know what you're doing," she managed to get out between breaths.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Isabella replied, grabbing Crystal around the neck and lifting her up to her feet. Isabella smirked when she noticed that she was a few inches taller than the other girl who was now gasping for air. "All I wanted was to marry a King. That's what my father wants. That's what my mother wanted before she was _killed_ brutally but that stupid lion!"

"Aslan?" Crystal managed to choke out.

"Exactly." Barely with a wave of her arm, Isabella managed to throw Crystal a few feet away. Crystal hit the ground, bounced hard once, and rolled a couple of times, stopping near the lip of a steep drop. "Aslan brutally murdered my mother when all she wanted as piece of the grounds. Was that too much to ask? No!" She delivered a swift kick to Crystal's side. Crystal turned into a ball as she squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating. Reaching out of the side of the cliff came roots that resembled tentacles as Crystal's hands faintly glowed green.

Isabella took a few steps back as the roots shot forward, effectively grabbing her, giving Crystal enough time to get back to her feet. Isabella smirked and squinted her eyes. The roots let go of her and flung themselves towards Crystal. "Give up. You'll never beat me." Crystal held her hands up, stopping the roots from crashing into her. "I'm going to get revenge for my mother, no matter how long it takes."

"Your mother…your mother was the White Witch?"

Isabella laughed. "Of course. She should've become Queen of Narnia but that didn't happen because stupid Edmund and stupid Aslan got in the way. You won't get in _my_ way either. I'm just playing with you right now. I'm not showing you my true power."

"So why don't you, you coward?" Crystal grunted, trying to keep control of the roots.

Isabella shrugged. "You asked for it." She raised her hands, palms out, and a sinister smirk came to her face. Crystal lowered her hands, dropping the roots, ready to attack when a sword suddenly came flying at her. She quickly drew her sword up and clashed it against the other.

"Peter!" Crystal cried out when she saw who it was that had attacked her. "What's your problem?" And then she noticed something that made her blood run cold. Something in his eyes was off. There was nothing behind them at all, no feeling whatsoever. It was as if she was staring at blue glass. "Snap out of it Peter," she grunted, successfully pushing him away from her but holding her sword up in her face to keep a line of defense.

"Oh, he can hear you," Isabella said smugly. "Because he's under my control now. Once he snaps out of it he won't even know that he's killed you."

Crystal tensed and barely had a chance to move out of the way when another sword came flying at her. Caspian managed to get in between them before she got hit. "What are you doing?" He growled, his eyes narrowing at Aral.

"Getting rid of the nuisance," he replied, putting more force behind his sword, slowly pushing Caspian to the ground.

"She has him under her spell too," Crystal realized, swinging her sword down. Peter brought his up, easily hitting hers and moved swiftly, trying to land a hit on Crystal but she managed to keep up with his pace, twisting this way and that to get out of the way of his blade. It seemed like every time his sword clashed with hers he was putting more energy into it and was trying to knock her over with the force of each blow. "Peter, stop! It's me, Crystal. Your friend."

"I have no friends," he mumbled in monotone, continuing his attack. He swung his sword to the side once more with enough force that Crystal's was thrown out of her hands. He jutted his sword forward and pressed the tip into her neck. "Any last words?"

Crystal could feel Isabella's eyes on her and could practically see the triumphant smirk that was on her face but she didn't shift her eyes from Peter's gaze as her hands clenched into fists. _This is Peter. He wouldn't hurt you. He won't do anything_, she told herself, forcing herself to calm her racing heart. _He won't hurt you_. "Put the sword down, Peter. This isn't you. You can fight it," she managed to keep her voice strong.

"Lady Crystal, get out of the way!" Caspian grunted, finally managing to push Aral away from him.

"No. I know Peter won't hurt me."

A slight smirk came to his lips. "Wrong answer." He brought his sword back, ready to deliver a blow. Moving quickly, Crystal thrust out her palm, smashing it into Peter's forehead. His head snapped back and he lost balance as a root came flying out of the ground and wrapped itself around his elbows, pulling his arms back. Crystal raced over to her sword and picked it up, she barely turned around when something slammed into her side.

She stumbled and the next thing she knew she was in free fall, watching the lip of the cliff soar upwards as wind rushed in her ears.

"Yes!" Isabella cheered, clasping her hands together. "Finally she's out of my hair." She held up her hand and with a flick of her wrist the roots let go of Peter's elbows. A wolf trotted over to her side before turning back into Carlisle who shook his head. "Well?"

"I saw her go over the edge. No one can survive that fall," Carlisle said triumphantly.

"You did well, Carlisle," Isabella said as she patted his shoulder.

"Ok, now my part of the deal should be fulfilled."

"Don't worry. In a few days we'll be in the castle and the Kings and Queens of Old will be our servants. I'll let you have Lucy as your personal servant as well for a job well done," Isabella said with a laugh, turning to watch the other band of wolves attack the centaurs and minotaurs. The wolves had the upper hand by being bigger and quicker and she knew it was only a matter of time until she finally won the battle and could move onto the castle. "Aral, get this over with all ready," she sighed when she saw that he was still battling Caspian. Shaking her head, she walked over to Peter and reached up, putting a hand on his shoulder as he returned Rhindon to its sheath. "Finally we can be together."

"Yes, finally you can be my High Queen," Peter agreed, taking her hands in his. "I don't know what took me so long to realize that you're the perfect woman to rule beside me. Marry me, Isabella."

Isabella bounced on her toes and grinned. "I'm so glad to hear those words come out of your mouth. I knew you'd come around." She stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. A confused look crossed his features. "I can't wait to start planning the wedding. I want to have it as soon as possible but it's going to take a bit for my family to move into the castle to be able to see the ceremony and I'm going to need some people to go out and look for flowers I want to use but they're not found in this part of Narnia and—"

"Wait," Peter stopped her, backing away, hands up in front of his face. He was blinking rapidly. "Stop. What's…what's going on?" He started looking around, his chest heaving and falling as he breathed rapidly.

Isabella gritted her teeth. _How'd my powers wear off like that? Oh, it doesn't matter, that girl's out of my way now and if he won't come willingly I'll just make him._ "Dear, everything's fine now," she said as she reached out a hand and lightly trailed her fingers down his cheek. He swung his sword up and held it in front of her face. "Put that silly thing down before you poke an eye out."

"What'd you do to Crystal?" Peter demanded, not lowering his sword.

Isabella laughed. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who did something." Peter's eyebrows crinkled. "_You're_ the one who killed her."


	25. Under Fire

**This is Crystalized Chaos now turned Crystal Manning. I hope you all don't mind the name change, I just wanted something simpler. I hope you guys are still sticking around and still enjoying the story. Tell me what you think (and any comments about it being too short will fall on deaf ears. I have college work that tends to come first now. =) ) Please leave a review!**

**~Crystal Manning**

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**Chapter 25: Under Fire**

"How do you think things are going?" Lucy asked as she tried to string a bouquet of flowers together into a crown, which was her specialty. She frowned, pulled a flower out, and tried again. Susan smiled at the look of frustration on Lucy's face. The sisters were sitting in the garden collecting a bunch of different flowers to have presented on the tables at the party

"Well, seeing as the two people who's stubbornness rival a mule are together, I'm thinking slowly," Susan replied with a laugh.

"Susan, you're horrible," Lucy laughed.

"What? It's true. Those two are so stubborn they can't even see that they care about each other," Susan replied. "I do hope they find out soon though. The better they realize it the faster he'll get over Caspian proposing."

"Which reminds me, why exactly wasn't I the first to know about it?" Lucy demanded. "And don't use that I'm too young to understand the matters of the heart thing." Susan twisted her mouth to the side and let out a breath as Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Believe it or not I understand quite a bit."

"I know you do, it's just…"

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts," Lucy gasped.

Susan sighed "No, Lu, it's–"

Her words were muffled by the sound of the door bursting open. The two girls whipped their heads around as Edmund came running out the door. Susan tensed at the look on Edmund's face and immediately jumped to her feet. Lucy got to her feet as well and waited for Edmund to say whatever it was that was so urgent.

"Ed, what is it?" Lucy asked.

"The castle's under fire!" Edmund replied. "Isabella must've sent someone to attack. Let's go!"

Susan's heart leapt into her throat as she followed after Edmund as quickly as possible. Lucy's footsteps were behind her and the three ran to the armory that held their weapons. Susan hastily ducked her head and put the quiver on until it rested on her back and filled it with arrows as she grabbed her bow. "Edmund, you go and attack whoever it is that's attacking us. Lucy, you help me guard Elvrond. Something tells me that he's the target."

"Got it," Edmund said with a nod, turning to run back up the stairs.

"Ed, catch!" Susan yelled before throwing an object.

Edmund reached out and easily caught her horn. "But Su—"

"You're going to need it more than me. Just go!"

Edmund nodded and raced out of the armory, the girls were at his heels but he went down the hall one way while they went the other to find Elvrond. Every now and then they could hear the sounds of a battle and then they would feel the castle tremble. Screeches and grunts would pierce the air that seemed to melt into rhythm with the girls' footsteps.

"Where could he be?" Lucy asked. "Edmund was the last to see him?"

"Astronomy tower," Susan replied breathlessly. "He goes there all of the time."

Before Susan could even finish Lucy was running down the halls to get to the Astronomy tower. She flung open the door and ran up the spiral staircase, taking two at a time. The longer they ran the slower they moved but they forced themselves to keep running to get to him. "Look!" Lucy cried, suddenly stopping and pointing out the window.

Susan turned to look and gasped. They could see many dark shapes running towards the castle, destroying everything in its path. Some of their own army charged at the attackers but Susan could tell from there that the enemies had the upper hand from a sneak attack. Her heart jumped into her throat as she tried to look in the distance to see if her brother was coming back or there was any sign of more help. "C'mon, we have to keep going." She grabbed the sleeve of Lucy's dress and yanked her up the stairs. Finally they reached the top and pushed the door open. Elvrond was standing by the large window, overlooking the battle. "Elvrond, thank goodness you're ok," Susan sighed.

She took a step forward into the room only to get hit hard on the back of the head. She heard Lucy cry out in pain as well. She turned to see who her attacker was but felt an arm wrap around her neck and squeeze, cutting off her air supply. As she thrashed and tired to get the attacker off of her she felt her bow being ripped out of her hand and her quiver being ripped off of her back and thrown onto the floor.

"What…what are you doing? Why're you capturing us?" Lucy yelled to their servants who were the ones who held them tight.

Before Lucy's and Susan's eyes their servants bodies changed and formed into the bodies of grown men with bulging muscles and evil un-human-like grins. Their eyes were an odd golden color and fangs protruded from their mouths. "This was a trap," Susan quickly summed up. "Isabella must've had them infiltrate the castle!"

"You're a smart one, Queen Susan," a light, whispery voice filled her ears. A shiver ran down Lucy's spine as her breath came out in front of her face like a white fog. Her knees started shaking as her eyes widened. She looked over at Susan whose jaw was clenched as well as her fists.

Elvrond finally turned around and had a scared look in his eyes, something that made all the fears that Lucy was trying to keep down rise up inside her and thoughts raced through her brain. Was Peter OK? Were Caspian and Crystal OK? What was going on with Edmund? Did he get hurt? Was he even alive still? What about the others in the castle? What about the nursing centaurs? The children?

A sheet of ice formed on the ground behind Elvrond and a pillar was rising from it, as if someone was pushing it up through the floor. The pillar started to thin out, as if being melted, and was taking on a shape. A familiar shape. A shape that Susan saw in some of her nightmares.

The White Witch had returned.


	26. Mother Nature

**If there is any confusion this story takes place between _Prince Caspian_ and _Voyage of the Dawn Treader_. Sorry I didn't mention it before but I thought it was obvious but I had gotten a few questions so I cleared up the confusion here. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

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**Chapter 26: Mother Nature**

As soon as Crystal opened her eyes the only thing she could see was all white. She sat up and looked around, her breath catch in her throat. Everywhere she looked her eyes were met with blinding white light. There was no sound except for her panicked breathing that echoed in the space around her. She slowly got to her feet and checked herself for injuries.

"Don't worry, young one, you're not hurt."

Crystal whirled around when she heard the soft voice and took a step back instinctively. A tall woman with flowing dark hair smiled pleasantly at her, her blue eyes shining as she look down upon the young girl. Her off-white dress flowed as if wind was pushing it around her body however the air around Crystal was still. "Who are you?" Crystal finally managed to ask.

The woman let out a chime-like laugh. "You've seen me before," she replied. "In your dreams. In your thoughts. Even in your reflection." The woman waited for Crystal to think her words over.

Crystal's eyebrows knitted together slightly as the words sunk in. _In my dreams, in my thoughts, and in my reflection…_ Crystal's eyes widened as the words hit her. She stared at the woman whose smile got a bit wider and she nodded slightly. If Crystal was correct than the woman standing in front of her was the one woman she wanted to meet ever since she arrived in Narnia and found out who she really was. If she was correct, that woman was her mother. Not only her mother, but Mother Nature as well.

"Are…are you…?" Crystal couldn't form the words as she took in the woman's appearance. Their eyes were the same, the nose the same, the mouth the same. The woman's features were softer than Crystal's but everything else was the same. "Are you…my mother?" She asked.

"Yes, I am Davina," the woman replied. "Mother Nature. Partner of Aslan. Queen of Rayuvial. Protector of Narnia. And soon, my young one, you shall be too." Davina reached out a hand and pressed it to Crystal's forehead. The young girl closed her eyes at her mother's touch and let out a slow breath. Davina smiled and took in the sight of her daughter with loving, proud eyes. "You have grown into a beautiful young woman. Soon you'll have suitors knocking on your door."

Crystal opened her eyes and looked up at her mother. "Am I dead?" She asked, motioning around to the blank white space around them. Davina's chuckle echoed throughout the space as she shook her head. The light caught her hair at every angle and made it shine.

Crystal stood, mesmerized by her mother's beauty. She wondered if she'd ever look that beautiful. She's been told numerous times from Susan and Lucy that she was pretty but she never believed them. They were her friends, they had to say that and it wasn't like she believed it. Susan was always mentioned as being beautiful and Crystal felt overlooked whenever standing with her, not that she would ever admit it.

"No, young one, you are not dead. I brought you here," Davina replied. She waved her hand in a sweeping motion and two chairs seemed to spring up from the ground and looked like it was made from clouds. Davina walked over to her fluffy chair and sat down. Crystal was surprised at the solidity of the chair and hesitantly sat down in the other one. Davina waited patiently as Crystal moved her fingers through the little cloud wisps that were coming off of the arm rests before returning her attention to her mother. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions to ask me."

"Yes, you're right," Crystal replied, nodding slowly. But she didn't know where to start. She wanted to know everything, what had happened after she was born, why she was sent to Earth, how she got her powers, everything. Crystal struggled to find the right words and Davina waited with a small, pleasant smile on her face. "I guess what I want to know the most is…why did you put me on Earth? Why didn't you leave me with Dad?"

Davina's smile got a bit wider as she crossed a golden dusted leg over the other. "My dear, Rayuvial was in a warring state and it wasn't the place for the heir of the throne to stay. It was Aslan's idea to put you on Earth, actually. Aslan is a noble and respected lion and I knew what he was saying was the right thing to do so I contacted your father and suggested that he put you on Earth in the care of your other parents."

Crystal shook her head slowly at the words that were coming out of Davina's mouth. "But my mother always left me alone and after…my other father died she barely even looked my way. I don't understand. Why did you leave me with _them_?"

"Don't you see young one? If we hadn't left you with them you wouldn't have found your way back," Davina replied simply. "If you hadn't been placed with that family you would've never met the Pevensies. You wouldn't _be_ here."

Crystal leaned back in her chair and let out a slow breath. "How did I get my powers?"

A sad smile came to Davina's face. "As soon as you were born. My powers passed onto you once I passed away. But here, in this world, I can use them again."

"Are you sure I'm not dead?"

"Yes, young one. You aren't dead. I am, I brought you here to finally speak with you and to tell you that your powers are strong and they are going to be hard to handle, as you've seen all ready," Davina said with a chuckle. "I wanted to explain to you everything you wanted answers to, and I still do, but we do not have much time. Your friends need you, Narnia needs you."

"How can I protect it when I don't know how to use my powers?" Crystal asked.

"Come and see." Davina stood and walked away from the chairs before stopping randomly in front of a gray cloud that appeared in front of her. She moved her hands as if pulling apart curtains and a window appeared in the cloud. Crystal got up and stood by her mother's side, looking through the window. Her breath got caught in her throat when she realized that they were looking into the castle and saw that Susan, Lucy, and Elvrond were being held captive by wolf-like humans and a woman dressed in white with grayish-white hair stood before them, a malicious smile was o her face.

"That's the White Witch, isn't it?" Crystal asked. Davina nodded. "I thought Aslan destroyed her."

"Isabella brought her back," Davina replied.

"I thought Isabella could only control people," Crystal mumbled, clenching her hands into fists. She couldn't get out of her head the smug look on Isabella's face once she successfully controlled Peter. She couldn't forget the fact that Peter actually had attacked _her_. Sure, they fought a lot, they were as different as black and white, but they had a strong bond, one that she didn't think Isabella could destroy that easily.

"Isabella has the powers of her father. She is able to not only control people but she can also bring people back to life, if only for a short period of time. However, the only way she could bring them back is if she has the blood of the living, and even then they're connected to that person."

"Edmund," Crystal summed up, remembering the stories he had brought forth about their time in Narnia. It took her ages to get it out of him; he acted like she was pulling his teeth out, not a story. Davina nodded. "How can I help them? I only know how to use a little bit of my powers."

"That I can't tell you, young one. You must figure that out by yourself," Davina said sadly. "However, I feel I should mention that there is a prophecy surrounding you." She snapped her fingers and writing appeared in the air, small wisps of cloud taking shape of letters. Crystal watched intently as the letters formed the prophecy in front of her:

_Anger beats within her heart, when the new fall has its start_

_and the darkness seeps as the fallen weep._

_When she rises up darkness shall meet the light_

_and only with a Mother's touch will the land be returned to such_

_Only one can live while the other one falls_

_Only eternal love can save us all_

"And, unfortunately, it is your time to leave." Davina moved her hands together and the window closed and the words were erased from the air.

"Will I ever see you again?" Crystal asked softly. "There are so many things…" her voice trailed off.

"We will see each other in due time, young one," Davina told her. "Give Aslan my best and please, bring him with you." She waved her hand and the cloud got bigger and tightened as it formed the shape of a horse. The horse-shape shook itself and the clouds flew off as if it were snow and in its place was a pure white horse with sparkly white wings, as if sunlight had bounced on the tiny water droplets in snow.

"He's beautiful," I whispered, rubbing his nose.

"His name is Siber," Davina told me. "He is very loyal and will protect you as long as you need protection. Always keep him and this"—she pointed at the necklace around her daughter's neck—"with you and you shall be fine. I will always be looking over you, my sweet. I love you and your father very much. Don't forget that."

"I won't," Crystal whispered, keeping her hand on Siber's neck, biting her lip to keep the tears from falling. Davina nodded as the white light got brighter and brighter. Crystal finally had to close her eyes as the light got so bright it hurt them.

The sound of rushing water filled her ears and she slowly opened her eyes. The young girl looked around to see she was standing in shallow water at the bottom of a high-walled gorge. She stumbled slightly when Siber nudged her arm.

"Come, milady. We have a land to save," Siber said in a raspy voice, arching his back and stretching his wing. Crystal nodded and managed to climb onto his back, curling her fingers into his soft, golden mane.

* * *

Edmund's heart pounded in his chest as he ran as fast as he could towards the battle. He managed to grab a crossbow on his way down the castle stairs to use as a first line of defense before he had to use his sword. He and a few centaurs were running towards the highest tower to get a better look at the battle.

Edmund suddenly felt the stairs give way beneath him and he jumped forward in time to land on the stairs ahead of him. He looked back to see that a section of the spiral stairs they were running up had fallen away from the attack on the castle.

"Did anyone…?" Edmund struggled to ask, looking at a centaur behind him.

"No, my lord. We managed to stop in time," the centaur replied.

Edmund nodded and got to his feet, continuing his run to the top of the castle. He pushed open the door and ran to the edge, his heart dropping when he saw how many of Isabella's werewolves were attacking their army. By looking at the large and dark figures they were easily outnumbered two to one. Edmund swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to think of what Peter would do in his situation.

"Orders, Sire?" A centaur asked.

Edmund swallowed again and grabbed onto the edge of the tower when he felt a hard jolt. "Ok, shoot as many arrows as you can. We need to try and wound them before they can attack our men. We need to keep some of you here just in case they get inside of the castle. If anyone gets inside, do whatever you can to stop them."

"And you, my lord?"

Before Edmund could reply he heard a shriek that made his blood run cold. _Lucy…_ He turned and ran back the way he came, making sure to jump over the space between stairs. He ran down them as fast as he could but not as fast as he wanted to. He couldn't bare it if something had happened to Lucy and Susan and that alone made him run faster than he's ever run before. He pushed out the sounds of the battle that invaded his ears as he tried to follow the sound of Lucy's sobs.

He finally burst into a room and saw Lucy and Susan both forced to their knees, knives held to their necks. A little trail of blood was rolling down Lucy's neck. The wolf-like beasts smiled at Edmund, their fangs gleaming in the light.

"Lucy, Susan!" Edmund gasped.

"Edmund, behind you!" Lucy managed to get out before being pricked in the neck again.

Edmund whirled around and his blood ran cold. Jadis smiled a sweet smile as she walked over to him, each step freezing itself into the ground. Edmund held his crossbow up in front of him and Jadis let out a little laugh.

"Silly Edmund, put the weapon down," Jadis said in a cold tone.

"Never," Edmund hissed, keeping his hands on the weapon. "How're you alive? Aslan destroyed you."

Jadis laughed again. "Aslan doesn't know the power of my own kin."

"Her own kin?" Susan repeated. Susan wracked her brain trying to find out who it could possibly be that would be her own kin. She wondered how Aslan didn't even know there was such a person and hadn't warned them. She then bit her lip at her own thought. Aslant never told them something that he felt they needed to figure out on their own so she should've known it wouldn't be that easy. _Think, Susan, think!_ She looked over at Lucy and saw that she also had a look of hard concentration on her face.

Lucy suddenly gasped. "Isabella!" She cried out.

"Isabella?" Susan asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! It has to be her. The White Witch can turn people to stone, 'freeze' them. And Isabella can control people. It makes sense!"

"Ah, so you Kings and Queens aren't as thick as I thought you were," Jadis said with a hint of amazement. She turned her eyes back to Edmund and started walking around him. It was then he saw the sight that made his lips part in horror. Elvrond was lying on the ground eyes closed, encased in a block of ice. "You're older, stronger now Edmund. You don't have to do what your brother says anymore. _You_ could be known as the better king of Narnia, you wouldn't be pushed aside in favor of Peter. Of course, I could help you. You could have it all: the riches, the name, and the reign over these lands. It could all be yours, only yours, if you let me help you."

"No!" Edmund hissed, trying to move away from her but she clamped her hands down on his shoulders, keeping him from moving. He could feel the cold move through his armor, bite through his skin, and chilled him to the bone.

"Your brother doesn't even think of you as his equal, as his brother," Jadis told him, her mouth right by his ear.

"Edmund, don't listen to her!" Susan yelled. She let out a cry of pain when the beast that held her punched her hard in the stomach. She could hear Lucy's sobs as she slowly doubled over trying to get oxygen back into her lungs.

"Either you join me, Edmund, or I destroy you," Jadis said simply, standing in front of him, holding her wand in his face.

"I…I destroyed that wand," Edmund whispered, his legs shaking underneath his armor.

Jadis laughed in his face. "You did a lot of things to me, Edmund, and you should have died for it, traitor. Aslan may have saved you before but he's not going to save you now." She yanked the wand out of his face and slapped him. His face stung not only from the slap but also from how cold her hands were. "You're still a little traitor, Edmund, and you should've died that day. Instead, you're going to die today."

"Edmund! Edmund, do something!" Lucy yelled and shrieked when she had her hair pulled roughly. Her cheeks had tear tracks on them and her eyes shone from the unshed tears that nestled in the corners."Edmund!"

Jadis smirked at his sister's screams and pointed the wand at him again. "I'll give you one more chance. I'll spare you if you join me and together we could rule Narnia," she offered.

Edmund stayed silent. He couldn't find any way out of the situation. Either he got killed without being able to defend himself or he turns against his family and Narnia again. He couldn't turn his back on his lands again. He couldn't turn his back on his second home. He gained Aslan's trust, gave him a reason to let him become part of the royal court with his brothers and sisters and he wasn't going to go against it now.

"Never!" Edmund hissed finally, swallowing hard. _At least I died protecting my family this time._

"Any last words, _king?" _Jadis asked in a mocking tone, tightening her grip on her wand.

Edmund suddenly found himself back on the battlefield those years ago when they were first in Narnia, during the First Battle of Beruna. He remembered what it felt like to destroy her wand after realizing it was where she got her powers and he remembered the pain from being stabbed from the shard and how he was afraid that it was his time to die. And now, it actually was his time to die and there was nothing he could do about it this time. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes when he realized that he wouldn't be able to see his father or his mother again.

Jadis grinned wickedly, bringing her wand back, ready to strike. She froze in her place when a strong gust of wind filled the room. It seemed to wrap its invisible body around Edmund and then moved right through Susan's horn which was attached at his hip, emitting a loud sound. All of a sudden Edmund stumbled forward; found that he was able to move. Quickly, he swung up his crossbow and smashed Jadis's wand out of her hand.

"You _wench_!" Jadis hissed, diving for it. The wand rolled out of her grasp from the wind. Edmund quickly turned and shot arrows at the beasts that were holding Lucy and Susan. One let out a scream of agony as an arrow penetrated his eye while the other instantly fell dead from a few arrows penetrating its heart. Edmund threw down the crossbow, quickly brought up his sword, and smashed it against the wand. It cracked instantly and let out a wave of light blue energy. "No!" Jadis gasped.

Edmund swung his sword up so the point was close to her nose. She glared at him on the other side of the blade as Lucy and Susan got to their feet, shakily. "Where did that wind come from?" Lucy asked, looking around. As if answering her question, the door to the room was suddenly flung open and off its hinges by another strong gust of wind.

"Huh, note to self: don't use so much wind," Crystal muttered, entering the room.

"You mind coming faster next time? I actually saw paint dry," Edmund quipped.


	27. Isabella and the White Witch

**Chapter 27: Isabella and The White Witch**

Isabella laughed. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who did something." Peter's eyebrows crinkled. "_You're_ the one who killed her."

Peter's grip faltered on his sword as he stared at Isabella, searching her eyes. She has to be lying, Peter wouldn't do that. He felt his heart plummet as the words repeated in his head. Isabella smirked and put a hand on his arm. "It's ok, she wasn't needed. We don't need her around to rule as High King and Queen. We don't need her or your sisters and brother or Caspian. We can rule side-by-side."

Peter tightened his grip and swung his sword at her but she easily dodged out of the way. "You will _never_ rule Narnia," he hissed, a fire in his eyes.

Isabella sighed and dusted off the bottom of her dress and pushed a strand of loose hair out of her face. "Fine, we'll just do this the hard way." She snapped her fingers and Carlisle suddenly grabbed his head, letting out a groan of pain. His nails started to get longer and his groans turned to animalistic growls. Peter watched as not only he changed but the rest of Isabella's group shifted shape before his eyes.

"Get ready," Peter called to the army behind him that stood by waiting for his command. He sensed more than saw Caspian stand by his side.

"Silly Peter, you are wasting your time. However, if you won't rule Narnia with me I'll rule Narnia without you." She crossed her arms over her chest and all was still except for the gentle wind that whistled in their ears. "Charge," Isabella ordered.

The werewolves let out howls before racing forward, snapping their jaws. Peter lifted his sword into the air, signaling for his army to run forward as well. Peter swung his sword this way and that, catching werewolves on the end of it but he was really aiming for Isabella, who stood back, not even lifting a finger. Anger surged in Peter's stomach and it gave him enough adrenaline to keep his arms up when the weight of a werewolf practically knocked Rhindon out of his hands.

Centaurs cleared a path for him while they fought werewolves, slamming their hooves down on the beasts as they swung their swords. Caspian continued to fight Aral, matching him blow for blow, parry for parry. They moved as if they were in a dance, matching each other's move for move in a dance to the death.

Caspian fought with all of his heart but a small bit. It was his family he was fighting after all, whether or not Isabella was controlling him. When it came down to it he really didn't know if he would be able to slay his cousin or let him walk free. He was a spy of sorts, a traitor to their group and that couldn't be forgiven. But he was family and he didn't want his father to frown upon him from heaven.

"Why won't you fight me, cousin?" Aral demanded, clenching his teeth, his eyes burning with fire.

"I shall not hurt you, cousin," Caspian replied, blocking Aral's blow. Aral put more force behind each hit to catch Caspian off guard but he held his ground. Aral twisted his wrists, spinning their blades and successfully knocking Caspian's blade out of his hands.

Aral pointed his blade at Caspian's throat and grinned evilly. Caspian swallowed and felt a tiny prick on his neck when his Adam's apple touched the blade. "Isabella shall become the queen of Narnia and there is nothing you can do about it."

"You dare kill your own?" Caspian asked, keeping his eyes on his cousin.

"I shall do anything I can to bring Isabella to her rightful throne," Aral replied. "Where she belongs since it was taken away from her mother."

"And what would you get out of it?" Caspian asked, tuning out the screams and howls of pain from the fight around them.

"Eternal glory," Aral replied.

"Which is redundant seeing as you don't even belong to this world," Caspian said as calmly as he could. Aral blinked and Caspian let out a little breath as Aral got distracted. "You were only a baby when you were brought into a different world. How you're older now must be part of Narnia magic but once this is finished you'll be just a child once more. You can't do anything with your 'glory', you'd be too young to remember it."

Aral stayed silent but clenched his teeth as Caspian's words sunk in. Caspian stayed silent, waiting for Aral to do something. Strike him, back away, _something_. Aral kept his dark eyes on his cousin, battling words in his head. Caspian's eyebrows inched together as he watched the flame behind Aral's eyes lessen until it was a light smolder. Did his words get to his cousin? Caspian held his breath, waiting for something to happen. Time seemed to stand still and the battle faded out as the cousins kept their eyes on each other.

Caspian could feel the blade vibrating against his neck as Aral's hand trembled. A hint of a sigh escaped from Aral's lips and he put his sword down. He suddenly grabbed his head and let out a cry of pain, clutching his hair tight in his fingers as Caspian staggered to his feet. Aral's grip slackened until his hands dropped to his sides and he looked at Caspian. Caspian saw that the flame was gone entirely and was replaced with a look of a boy who was scared and lost.

Caspian clasped his cousin's hand and nodded. "Father would be proud," he told Aral.

Aral nodded. "How did you break Isabella's hold?" He questioned.

Caspian shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted.

They whirled around when they heard Isabella's laughter. Peter had his sword held up in front of Isabella's face again but she was laughing at him. Peter's lips were pressed together and his cheeks were puffed up slightly as if being filled with infamous amounts of hate-fueled words that he wouldn't dare let slip past his lips and besmirch the image of their High King.

"Peter, Peter, Peter," she sighed, shaking her head. "There is no point of fighting me. Either you'll rule with me willingly or you'll rule with me under my control. Don't waste your strength; you'll need it to fight that Crystal girl. She's the only thing standing in my way."

"My sisters and brother are standing in your way as well," Peter pointed out. "And I will never rule by your side!"

"Put your sword down. My fight is with her, not with you. You, however, can deal with my father. He just hates it when I'm upset and I'm _very_ upset. He'll do anything he can to make me feel better," Isabella taunted. "Aral, put this nuisance away for the time being. I'll come back for him later," she called, waving her hand in Peter's direction. Isabella turned towards him and lifted an eyebrow when he didn't budge. "Did you not hear me?" She snapped, stomping her foot on the ground and then she gasped. "How…how did you break my spell?" She demanded. "No matter. Carlisle! Attack them now!"

Peter managed to twist his body to miss the strike that Carlisle aimed at him. Carlisle skidded back a couple of feet but dug his wolf nails into the ground to stop himself from moving. His eyes were wild but focused on Peter's throat.

"You shall go down in your own blood tonight, _King_," Carlisle growled, licking his chops.

"Peter, she's getting away!" Caspian called, thrusting a sword into a werewolf that jumped at him.

"Where would she go?" Aral asked, striking at another werewolf.

Peter didn't respond, he only tightened his grip on Rhindon, feeling the grooves and dips of the lean-head pommel. _Please, Aslan, protect me_. Peter closed his eyes briefly to deliver the prayer and bent his knees, waiting for Carlisle's attack. Carlisle leaned back on his haunches, his fangs dripping with drool. Peter let out a little breath and stayed stiff in his stance, waiting.

Finally Carlisle lunged forward, his jaws snapping at Peter's neck. Peter managed to throw himself to his side and plunge his sword into the soft fur of Carlisle's side. His stomach heaved as he felt the blade sink in and the warm blood our over his hands. Carlisle let out a high pitched whimper into the sky and hit the ground the same time as Peter.

Peter's breath was knocked out as the heavy beast landed on top of him. Peter pushed at the heavy beast but it wouldn't budge. He felt it pressing down on his chest, crushing his airways as he tried to gasp for air. The sounds of fighting, swords clashing, and whimpers of pain started to become muffled the more Peter struggled.

Suddenly he felt the weight lifted off of him and he drew in a large gasp of air once, twice, three times. A hand was held in front of his face and he was pulled to his fist as his sword was shoved into his other hand. Caspian looked at him intently as Peter put a hand on his chest to make sure his ribs were still intact," Thanks," Peter mumbled. He then took a look around at the battlefield, at his fallen army.

A portion of it was still strong and fighting, probably to the death. He hated watching the bloodshed. After the years of fighting he still wasn't used to it and he didn't think he would ever adjust. He knew he had to do it, but sometimes he didn't know when was the right time to avoid the fighting altogether, such as now. He knew he had to help Crystal, he couldn't sit back and watch her fight a fight she wasn't used to nor had former training for. But, once again after Peter tried to do the right thing, it ended up wrong.

"What's…what's going on?" Aral mumbled, looking around. Caspian and Peter followed his gaze, noticing that the werewolves were retreating, running away as fast as their legs could carry them. The centaurs and fauns started after them but Caspian stopped them.

"Her father, Lord Auren, is still out there," Peter said more to himself than to his followers. "She can get him to do anything she wants. We've been able to break her spell but how is the question." He stopped when Glenstorm approached him.

"My lord, we must make haste. We have gotten word that there is danger at the castle."

Peter let out a cry of anger and hit himself on the thigh. He fell for it again, fighting another fight for someone to attack the others while he was distracted. When would he ever learn?

* * *

"Put the sword down, Edmund, you don't know what you're doing," Jadis told him.

Crystal reached back to grab her sword but froze when she saw the large casket-sized block of ice in the corner of the room. Her mouth fell open and she had a hard time breathing when she saw that her father was encased in the ice. "What'd you do to him?" She hissed, pulling out a sword as well and standing by Edmund.

Jadis ignored her and kept her eyes on Edmund. "I could give you all the power you've ever wanted."

"I don't need your power," Edmund hissed. "You're weak." He pulled back his sword and looked hard at her. "I'm not going to waste my time killing you, you don't deserve my attention. Get out of Narnia. If I hear that you've set foot in these lands again then I make sure you are not capable of taking over anywhere." He returned his sword to his sheath.

"You're just going to let her go?" Crystal asked in shock.

"Yes," Edmund replied. "But she has to defrost your father first and then I'll let her go."

"Ed, I don't think you understand—"

"I understand that Aslan crowned me 'King Edmund the _Just_'," he interrupted her. "And I shall live up to that name despite everyone else's opinions." He turned back to Jadis. "Now let him out at once!" He ordered in a booming voice, one they've never heard him use before.

Jadis pulled her lips back into a grimace and turned to the block of ice, lighting hitting Edmund in the face with the end of her cape. Edmund merely blinked and kept his eyes on her, his hand on his sword just in case she tried something. Crystal kept her swords in her hands as well, rolling the handles in her hand as she waited. Jadis lightly touched the ice-coffin and it melted before their eyes.

"Dad!" Crystal shouted while rushing over to him before Edmund could stop her. She threw her swords down by the melting casket, ignoring the water that was soaking the hem of her dress. Elvrond blinked his eyes open and looked at the ceiling before shifting them over to his daughter who crouched by his side. "Are you all right?" She asked, looking him over as if searching for a stab wound.

"Yes, I'm all right," Elvrond replied, sitting up and holding his head. "What are you doing back here? Did you win your duel?"

"And what about Caspian and Peter?" Lucy asked.

"I'll explain later," Crystal said as she grabbed her father's arm and helped him sit up.

Suddenly, before anyone could move, Jadis lunged forward, grabbed Crystal's swords, and held them to her neck, one arm over the over, so Crystal's head was in between the blades. Crystal gulped but kept her eyes on the White Witch. Susan grabbed an arrow and pulled it back on her quiver.

"One shot and this girl is dead!" Jadis warned them.

Edmund's jaw was clenched and his sword was drawn out. He should've known that she wouldn't go for his deal, but she had nothing left. He had just destroyed her wand; surely she would've just left with her dignity? He should have known that she wouldn't go away without a fight.

"Please, don't hurt her," Elvrond said as he stood. Jadis turned her sharp, cold gaze to him. "Don't hurt her," he repeated. "You shouldn't have a vendetta against her. She doesn't understand everything. Do with me what you wish but don't hurt her."

"Dad," Crystal gasped.

"Edmund, do something," Lucy begged.

But that was it. Edmund didn't know what to do. Peter always knew what to do in situations like this put Edmund's mind was blank. Either his friend got hurt or her father got hurt. How was he to make a decision such as that? Then it hit Edmund. It was so simple.

"Don't hurt either of them," Edmund said in a strong voice. "Take me instead."

"Edmund!" Susan gasped.

Jadis turned her head and glanced at him over her shoulder. A smirk formed on her face as she lowered the swords. She then lifted her foot and kicked Crystal hard in the face. She fell backward with a scream and covered her face with her hands.

Jadis kept her swords in front of her and walked over to Edmund who swallowed thickly but didn't turn away from her. "Drop your weapon," she ordered. Edmund didn't budge. "I said drop your weapon. You do want me to keep these wretched people safe, correct?" She asked. "All of you, drop your weapons!"

Edmund looked down and heard the clatter of Susan's arrows and quiver hit the ground as well as Lucy's dagger. Edmund sighed at the ground and tossed his sword in front of him. He couldn't look at the others. He knew what he was doing was right. He couldn't let anyone get hurt for him and his past mistake that always seemed to come back and haunt him. He didn't understand, he apologized for everyone yet here Jadis was once again, reminding him of the pain and torture he went through all because he was young and stupid and greedy.

He couldn't look at Susan and Lucy but knew that they were trying to find a way to get him out of the situation. He knew it was useless and they shouldn't even bother wasting their time. He was finally going to make things right about being a traitor, that's all he had his mind set on.

"Lachlan!" Jadis yelled. The sound of pounding footsteps were heard before a Black Dwarf came in through the door. "Pick up the weapons," she ordered. Lachlan nodded and cackled as he went around the room picking up the weapons along the way. "Now come with me, _slave_!" Jadis said, pointing the swords at Edmund, urging him to walk out of the room.

"Ed," Crystal muttered. He paused briefly to look at her; a small sad smile was on his face. "Now, Su!" She called.

Susan brought her horn up to her lips and gave it a good, long, and loud blow. Lachlan growled and ran back into the room, a sword in his hand, held high. Lucy clung to Susan, eyes wide in fear. Elvrond pulled out a boomerang-shaped object and threw it. It smacked against Lachlan's hand and he dropped the sword, howling in pain. Crystal quickly pulled her dagger out of a pocket and flicked it at Lachlan. It landed right in the middle of his back and he fell face-first onto the ground. Crystal ran forward and grabbed her sword as Lucy and Susan got their respective weapons.

"Bring Edmund back!" Susan ordered. "We've all ready called for help and they should arrive any moment!"

Jadis let out an angry shriek and lunged forward. Edmund let out a yell of pain when the blade of the sword in her hands pierced through his back. His scream cut off as he fell to his knees and then onto the floor, still.

"Edmund!" Susan and Lucy yelled in unison. Susan angrily fired off a round of arrows. Jadis held up her hand and they seemed to disintegrate in mid-air. Elvrond started forward. She waved her hand and he was sent flying off of his feet, as if by an invisible force, and slammed into the wall, crumpling against the ground. Jadis then turned to Lucy and Susan and did the same to them, knocking their weapons out of their hands.

Crystal held Edmund's sword tightly in her hand as Jadis stalked over to her, towering over the small girl. "The daughter of Mother Nature," Jadis said in a steely tone, holding Crystal's own swords against her. "The bane of my very existence. If she hadn't gotten in the way I would've been Queen of Narnia."

"I am not to blame for that," Crystal replied, tightening her grip on her sword.

"No, but you shall die for it." Jadis swung at Crystal with the two swords. Crystal jumped back and brought her own sword down, clashing with Jadis's. Crystal managed to keep her sword up with every blow that Jadis swung at her. However, the White Witch had more power and knocked the sword out of Crystal's hands. Crystal tried to think of any way to get her powers to work as Jadis towered over her. An evil smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she lunged forward.

Crystal's breath caught in her throat when she felt the blade pierce her side. Pain spread through her body as everything started to turn dark in the edges of her vision. She fell to her knees as if in slow motion. Jadis put a hand on her shoulder and roughly shoved her away, pulling the blade out of Crystal's stomach with a strange sucking sound. Crystal brought shaky hands down to her wound, her fingers slipping over the blood covered surface as she felt herself falling into darkness.

* * *

Peter pulled on Ashen's reigns as they arrived at the castle. His grip on the reigns tightened when he saw the holes blasted into the walls as well as smoke rising in the distance. He threw the reigns down in frustration. They were too late, Isabella's plan had worked. She is much smarter than he expected.

"My King, you have finally returned," a dwarf said as Peter, Aral, and Caspian jumped down from their horses. The faun looked over at the army that was left over. "Were you not successful in stopping the war?" He questioned.

Peter's eyes turned stony. "What happened here, Renius?"

"The beasts attacked, somehow they had gotten into the castle," Renius replied. "There has been a lot of damage done, my King."

"How much of our army is left?" Caspian asked.

"A good size but it may not be enough," Renius stated sadly. "We are going to need more for the war that is sure to come."

"I am sure there are Telmarines that would provide their service," Caspian said to Peter.

"I can get a word out to them as well as the Rayuvians. They are willing to help you fight as well," Renius added.

"Please do so," Peter told him, his eyes drifting over the castle. "Tell me, have you any word of Lucy, Susan, or Edmund?"

Renius hesitated, shuffling his goat-like feet. He then twisted a finger in the hair on his chin and sighed. "Your visit to the infirmary would be quite beneficial, my King." He then bowed to the men and clopped back into the castle to begin spreading the word of the war and the aid that was needed.

Peter suddenly took off into the castle, running up the steps with ease as his body raced with adrenaline. His chest tightened at the idea of his siblings being in the infirmary. He could hear Caspian's footsteps right behind him. He knew he had to stop this war; he couldn't stand seeing his brother and sisters getting hurt any longer. Fear gripped at his heart and propelled him forward. He finally found the infirmary and burst inside.

"King Peter, King Caspian, so glad that you have returned safely," the head nurse, a female centaur, said with a sigh, turning towards the two. "Sit so I can check your wounds."

"But Moonflower," Peter tried to protest.

"With all due respect, King Peter, that is an order," Moonflower said in a stern tone. Peter and Caspian both sat down on empty cots and waited for her to gather her medicines and bandages before checking on them. Peter tapped his fingers rapidly against his leg as she checked on Caspian first. He wished she would hurry up, he needed to make sure everyone was all right.

He couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe what Isabella had said. He didn't hurt Crystal, he wouldn't believe it. He wouldn't hurt one of his friends, someone he cared so much about. But he remembered doing it. Remembered seeing the scared look on her face. Remembered seeing the _hurt_ look on her face, it was enough to hurt him as well.

Peter flinched when Moonflower suddenly covered the scratch on his arm with some ointment of sorts that made it sting. She smiled an apology and checked his arms, face, back, and chest for any open wounds. Once they were clear she okayed them and Peter rushed around the large room. Finally he spotted Lucy near the "private" section of the infirmary.

"Lucy," he breathed.

"Peter!" She jumped up and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're not hurt." She then turned to Caspian. "And Caspian, you are well too I hope," she said, hugging him as well.

"Yes, we're fine," Caspian said, gently patting her on the head.

"Peter," Susan sighed, stepping out from behind a curtain. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck and he held her tight, letting out a sigh when he saw that she was all right. She then held him at arm's length. "Pete, its Edmund—"

"Is he ok?" Peter asked, feeling his heart skip a beat.

"Yes, he's all right. Lucy got a cordial to him in time," Susan explained as Peter flung back the curtain to Edmund's bed where he was sitting up. His shirt had been removed and a large white bandage ran around his stomach.

"Glad to see you're in one piece," Edmund commented with a small smile.

"I can say the same to you," Peter responded, sitting on a stool by his bed.

"Um, could you close the curtain?" Edmund said as he scratched at his neck. Peter turned to see what he was looking at and felt anger bubble in his stomach when he saw Susan whispering quietly to Caspian, their bodies close together. "Thanks," he said once Peter enveloped them in the curtain. "You don't know how annoying it is, seeing that all the time."

"I can imagine," Peter responded, looking his brother from head to toe. "What happened, Edmund?"

"Some of Isabella's servants managed to find their way into the castle," Edmund replied. "They were disguised. We had a little time to warn everyone but it wasn't enough. They destroyed parts of the castle but its pretty much still intact. I fought them off as hard as I could Pete, I really did. Then I went to help Lucy and Susan and…" his speech faltered. "And I saw _her_."

Peter knew who Edmund was speaking of without even needing to ask. He said 'her' with such disdain it could only be the one Narnian that plagued his nightmares. "She's back?" He gasped and Edmund nodded. "How?"

"Isabella somehow," Edmund replied. "That girl is strong, stronger than anyone we've ever faced in our fifteen years. I had managed to break her wand but…she still turned things around on us. I had managed to get her attention away from the others when…" he motioned to his wound. "Moonflower says I'm all right, I just have to take it easy for the next couple of days, but with this war it's not going to happen."

"I don't want you to fight," Peter told him.

Edmund made a snorting sound. "I'm going to do it anyway," he pointed out. A dark look came to his eyes. "I won't let the White Witch take over again, Peter. I wouldn't be able to live with my self."

"Some things you need to let go, Edmund."

"Not this." Edmund shook his head and rubbed at his eye, suddenly reminding Peter of a little child. "You shouldn't be checking on me anyhow."

Peter sat up straight, automatically knowing whom Edmund was referring to. "Is she hurt?" He managed to choke out. Edmund didn't reply but a grim look feel upon his face.


	28. Divided they Fall

**Chapter 28: Divided they Fall**

"Lucy barely got her cordial to her in time," Edmund replied after a few tense moments of silence. He tugged at a loose thread on the blanket, wrapping it around his finger and watching as it slowly turned purple before he broke it with a quick yank. "We got her here as soon as we could. Her breathing is stable but…she won't wake up. Moonflower says she's in a coma from losing so much blood."

Edmund's words hung in the still air and Peter felt numb. He couldn't help but feel responsible for the whole thing happening. He was the one who paid attention to Isabella in the first place. Hell, he could even say he was falling for her until she showed him her true colors. Since then she hasn't been out of their hair and now his friend is lying in an infirmary hurt and they didn't know when, or if, she'd wake up.

"Is there anything we can do?" Peter asked.

Edmund shook his head. "We can only wait."

"But we don't have time."

"I know."

Peter let out a groan and brought his hands up to his face, rubbing his face slightly as he quickly tried to think of what to do to buy them sometime. He couldn't doubt that she was a good fighter and he knew he needed her in their war, but at the same time he couldn't risk her getting hurt again. "Ok, as soon as you feel better we're going to gather in the Strategy Room to go over what to do," Peter told Edmund.

"I'm feeling fine," Edmund huffed, pushing back his covers and moving to stand.

"Did Moonflower give you permission to leave?" Peter asked in slight alarm while Edmund grabbed his shirt off of the nearby chair and started to put it on.

Edmund paused, his fingers on the buttons of his shirt and looked at Peter with steely eyes. "I don't need anyone's permission about how I feel," he told his brother. "I'm fine," he added stiffly. "I'll go and round everyone else up."

"Don't let Lucy in," Peter told him, standing.

Edmund sighed. "She deserves to know."

"And she will."

"Peter, she was there when it happened. Lucy has the right to know what we plan and what's going on," Edmund said as patiently as he could but inside he was fuming. Peter always did this. When something happened that involved a battle tactic he didn't want Lucy around. He said it was because he didn't want her to be involved with those type of affairs but Edmund and Lucy both knew it was because he couldn't accept the idea that she was growing up and wanted to help, _could_ help. "Go check on her," he said with a tilt of his head and then pulled back his curtain.

The infirmary was empty aside from them, Crystal, and Moonflower who was changing bedding on another. Peter hadn't heard the others leave. He watched as Edmund said something to Moonflower. She shook her head as she balled sheets in her hands. Edmund stepped closer and muttered something to her. She nodded and he bowed his thanks, turned, and walked out of the room.

"Where's Elvrond?" Peter's voice sounded a lot louder in the spacious and empty room. "Surely he'd be by his own daughter's bedside."

"He went back to his palace to gather up soldiers for your army, Your Majesty," Moonflower replied, brushing her hair behind her ears.

Peter nodded even though she had turned her back to him. Peter turned to look at the only other bed in the room with a drawn curtain and sighed. He didn't know what it was that had his feet glued to the floor. Was he scared of what he might find? Anxious even? What would she say to him? They had gone off on bad terms last they saw each other and he knew from experience that she could hold a grudge for a pretty good while.

He shook his head in disbelief. It was just Crystal after all, his friend whom he's known for years. He had nothing to be worried about, except, well, if she woke up. But otherwise he had nothing to fear. He swallowed, grabbed the curtain, and pulled it back, revealing her still form. She looked like she was sleeping except for the large bandage that was wrapped around her the mid-section of the loose shirt that she had been changed into. She was so still, so eerily still…

Peter's hands fingers curled into fists at the sudden fury that engulfed him. He wanted nothing more than to find Isabella himself and make her suffer for what she did. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Elvrond…I didn't hear you," Peter stammered, looking up at the older King.

Elvrond gave him a tight-lipped smile. "You seemed deep in thought. I didn't want to disturb you." His gaze rested on his daughter lying in the bed. "There is hostility in the air. War is definitely inevitable, tomorrow maybe."

Peter expected as much. Isabella wasn't one to wait around and she must know by now that their numbers were small and it would be wise to attack when they are weak. "I'm sorry…about your daughter," Peter stumbled over his words. "I should've looked after her."

"She's a grown girl, Peter, she knew what she was doing," Elvrond told him, walking to his daughter's bedside and taking her still hand. "It was like second nature." He smiled at his little joke; even Peter cracked a smile. "I like to think she knew about her destiny, even if it was obscure to her for a while."

"I don't follow," Peter said, puzzled.

"You see, she's half Narnian, half human, which explains her slow aging. I knew it would only be a matter of time until she found her way here. To find her way along with the Kings and Queens of Old was a blessing," Elvrond explained. "Even from a young age there would have been a pull from Narnia of sorts, a part of her that grew with time. I'll admit, everything was thrown at her at once when she returned but she had a sense of duty that she needed to fulfill."

"And this was it?" Peter asked in disbelief.

Elvrond didn't respond but smiled down at his daughter. "Your mother would've been proud," he whispered, stroking her hand. He looked to the bedside table and saw her matching necklace sitting there, the gems reflecting in the light. "We have a meeting to attend, correct?" He asked, lifting his head and looking over at Peter.

Peter nodded. "Yes. Were you able to bring anyone with you?"

"Yes and they are waiting for your command."

Peter let out a breath. Ready or not, this war was coming quickly.

* * *

Lucy let out a long sigh of boredom once more. Once again she was left out of the meeting. True, it was a meeting of strategies, weaponry, army sizes, and tactics and all those things bored her, but they were important to her as well. Narnia was her home as well and she felt inclined to help, but Peter wouldn't let her have her way.

She crossed her arms over her chest while walking the long corridor of the great castle. Lucy wasn't partial to fighting; she stayed away from it not only because of Peter's orders but also because she didn't want to see her friends, her _family_, getting hurt. But now…now she was older, she knew how to use her dagger, she had been taught to fight and she wanted to help. However, she knew if she brought the idea up to Peter he would, once again, tell her to stay behind and maybe add that she wasn't ready for the outcomes of war just yet, no matter how much Edmund pushed and shoved.

She smiled. Was it really a few years ago she and Edmund were constantly at odds? That was before Narnia and things were tense because of the oncoming war. Their father had left to fight and it seemed that Edmund had changed like a light-switched had been flipped on. He was sullen, rebellious, and downright rude sometimes, always making fun of her ideas and creative mind. After seeing what happened while he was with Jadis he became what his name described, Just. He listened to others, is tender-hearted, and is a skilled warrior and rider, however he still has tendencies to go against Peter's word and pokes fun at people but he's level about it now, he knows when to be serious.

Edmund wasn't the only one Narnia changed. Peter used to take the "fatherly" role of the family to his head, bossing them around and never admitting when he was wrong until it was shoved in his face. He handled Edmund's attitude in wrong ways, constantly fought with Susan's logic, and tried to handle Lucy's wide imagination and his sense of duty towards his family and Narnia. He constantly picked fights with everyone and tried to fulfill one duty and not the other. He finally learned how to balance reason, experience, and emotion and became the greatest High King that Narnia has ever had.

And Susan used to be "boring" as Lucy put it many times, relying on facts and logic to justify everything. She had a hard time believing in, not only Lucy, but Narnia as well. It's what made it hard for Susan to use her bow correctly, but after seeing the danger Edmund was in she put her faith and trust in Narnia and now she was as smart, wise, loving, and _gentle_ as before but now she had a new found trust for everything that was put in front of her, however she still held onto her sense of logic.

And everything else that made boys want to court her. Lucy made a face at the strange feeling stirring inside of her. Envy. She's felt it many times before and all because of her sister. Prim, proper, _perfect_ Susan. She was beautiful, smart, wise, loving, and could be fierce when she needed to be, and it was all those things that made suitors fall at her feet every time they laid eyes on her. Lucy wished she were that beautiful, she wanted to know what it felt like being attractive to men.

But, alas, she was always seen as the childish little sister who couldn't hold a candle to her sister's beauty. Lucy paused by a suit of armor that sat in the hallway, looking at herself in the reflection. She turned her head this way and that, trying to find the perfect angle of her face which she saw Susan doing many times. She brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled at herself in the reflection then made a face and backed away, chiding herself for acting weird. If growing up came with the drama that Susan had to go through then she wanted to stay 13.

"If you keep your face like that it'll get stuck," a low voice said in her ear.

Lucy jumped as laughter echoed in the corridor. She turned and a smile flitted across her face. "James!" She said happily, hugging him. "What're you doing here?"

"King Elvrond brought me," he replied, eyes shining. "Are you surprised?"

"Yes. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"And ruin a surprise as good as this one, My Queen?" He chuckled. "Now, why is there worry in your eyes, Your Highness?"

"A lot has been going on," Lucy sighed, her shoulders drooping. "Long story short Isabella is trying to take over Narnia and she brought the White Witch back somehow and she hurt Edmund and Crystal."

"They're both ok, I hope," James said.

"Edmund is fine, he left the infirmary this morning. It's Crystal we're worried about. My cordial helped her stay alive but…she's not waking up and we don't know if or when she will and…" her voice trailed off as tears collected in the corner of her eyes.

"She'll pull through, My Queen," James told her.

"How do you know."

He grinned. "Elvrond didn't just bring me back." Lucy looked at him in confusion and he laughed. "Come on." He turned and ran down the hall, not waiting to see if she would follow him. He knew she would. They raced each other through the halls, giggling and yelling at each other. The maids and servants that they passed gave each other knowing looks and secret smiles.

"This is the infirmary, but why are we here?" Lucy asked, stopping outside the door.

"Take a look for yourself," James replied, waving his arm to the room.

Lucy's eyebrows rose. He nodded and grinned. She looked from him and then looked into the room. She gasped, smiled at James, and then ran into the room. "Aslan! Aslan!" Lucy cried out happily, running at the lion. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his soft fur. "Oh Aslan, I've missed you," she sighed.

"And I you, young one," Aslan said in his deep, rumbling voice.

"Aslan, so much has been going on—"

"I know, that is why I'm here," he replied.

"Why weren't you here before?"

"I do not come unless you really need me."

Lucy grinned at his words. They needed him now more than ever if they were going to beat Isabella. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" Lucy asked, motioning to Crystal.

"I do, she's under a spell," Aslan replied, walking over to the other side of the bed. "When Jadis pierced her with her own sword she used her magic to put her under a very deep sleeping spell. That doubled with her wound would've surely killed her. You made it in time to save her."

Lucy beamed and patted her cordial which hung off her belt. Aslan's gold eyes flickered over the still girl and then he breathed on her. Lucy closed her eyes at the warm sensation that flitted past her. She opened her eyes and stared at Crystal, waiting to see her fingers twitch or her toes curl or something along the like. She bit her lip as the seconds ticked by. What was taking so long?

"Aslan…." She started.

"Quiet, dear one," Aslan shushed her.

Lucy's cheeks burned and she lowered her head but lifted it quickly when she saw Crystal's finger twitch. Or was she imagining it? Lucy held her breath and let it out when she saw all of the fingers on her left hand twitch and then grip the sheets. Lucy bounced on her toes in excitement as Crystal's eyelids fluttered and finally opened, blinking to adjust to the light. "Crystal! You're ok!" Lucy said happily, hugging her right as she sat up.

"Careful, Lu," Crystal said with a hoarse voice. She hugged the little girl back and brought a hand to her head. "What happened?" She asked, looking around and then jumped slightly when she saw Aslan. "Aslan, you're back. When'd you get here?"

"As soon as I heard the news," Aslan replied. "You have fought very bravely, young one. Very bravely, indeed."

Crystal shrugged modestly. "It felt right." She paused. "I saw my mother again," she told him.

"What do you mean you saw her?" Lucy asked, leaning back.

Crystal closed her eyes. "I remember fight the White Witch and then the next thing I knew I was up in the clouds with my mother. She was telling me that I couldn't give up, that Narnia needed me and that I must fulfill my prophecy."

"Anger beats within her heart, when the new fall has its start and the darkness seeps as the fallen weep. When she rises up darkness shall meet the light and only with a Mother's touch will the land be returned to such. Only one can live while the other one falls, only eternal love can save us all," Lucy recited off the top of her head. "I heard that in my dream." Then she gasped. "That's why we were all brought here, to help you fulfill your prophecy, like we were brought here to fulfill ours. Right Aslan?"

Aslan nodded. "But what does it mean?" Crystal asked, her voice tinged with despair.

"Only you shall figure it out on your own, I cannot tell you," Aslan replied.

Crystal let out a defeated breath and nodded. Then she suddenly sucked in her breath. "How's Edmund? And Lucy? And my father? Is everyone all right?"

"Yes, yes. They're in the Strategy Room right now," Lucy replied, squeezing her hand. "We were all worried."

"How's your head?" Crystal asked, bringing a hand up to the younger girl's hair.

"The blow wasn't much, it gave me a headache for a few short minutes but Moonflower knew how to take the pain away," Lucy replied. "I'm a tough girl."

"That you are," Crystal laughed, pushing back the covers to her bed and swinging her legs over the side. She stood up and grabbed onto the metal frame, closing her eyes at the wave of dizziness that washed over her. "I'm fine," she told everyone once she felt her eyes on them. "I just…I need a bath," she added.

"We'll get Windburst to draw you one," Lucy said, taking Crystal's hand.

"I would like to speak with you afterwards," Aslan told Crystal.

Crystal nodded and allowed Lucy to pull her out of the infirmary. "James is here as well, your father brought him," Lucy said happily as James stood and bowed.

"You are well, Princess?" He asked hopefully.

"Very well, thank you," Crystal replied. "You don't have to bow to me, kid."

James nodded and a blush bloomed on his cheeks. "I should get used to it, you are to be Queen of Rayuvial one day."

"Goody," Crystal said with unconvincing happiness.

"Do you mind entertaining yourself? Just for a little while, then we can talk," Lucy said to him. He nodded. Lucy lowered her voice, "If you go to the kitchen and ask for Lineus he shall give you the best dessert you can ask for." James grinned, nodded, and headed off in search for the kitchens as the two girls walked down the hall. "I can find a dress for you while you take your bath," Lucy offered.

"You don't suppose you could find one long enough for me to wear trousers under, do you?" Crystal asked and then pinched the loose t-shirt she was wearing. "I'm more comfortable in this but Peter would have a cow."

"And that vein would stick out of his neck," Lucy giggled at the image. "I'll check Susan's chambers; you're about the same size."

Crystal thanked her and the two went to what was Crystal's chamber and into her washroom. Once they opened the door they felt the warm, moist air on their face from the bath. Crystal closed the door behind herself and went over to the large, golden bathtub. Sighing, she gently unwrapped the bandages that were around her waist, pulled off her shirt, pants, and undergarments and sunk into the warm water, letting out a little hiss when her wound stung. She closed her eyes and let out a long slow breath as her muscles relaxed.

Outside the door Lucy looked around at her older friend's chambers. Peter and Edmund had the space renovated just for her and it was filled with a lot of blue fabric of every shade, her favorite color. Lucy went into her wardrobe and looked inside. Only two dresses hung there, one dark blue the other pale silver. They both had holes in them randomly, probably from Edmund's erratic fighting. Even then her dresses looked a lot more…_mature_ than Lucy's. Her dresses hugged in all the right places whereas Lucy's made her look like she was drowning in her fabric.

Sighing, she closed the door and went to Susan's chambers. Opening her wardrobe brought back the feeling of envy that Lucy hated. Susan's wardrobe was filled with beautiful dresses, most floor length but a few were a couple of inches shorter. Three dresses in the back were reserved for special occasions, Lucy knew, and those dresses were breathtaking. Lucy didn't have dresses as elegant as those. Sure, there were a few sparkles here, a few shiny pieces there but none compared to Susan's.

She tugged one off of the hanger and carried it over her arm, back to Crystal's room. She laid it down on the bed, gently and sat down on the bed next to it, kicking her feet in the air of the space between the floor and the bed. The room was elegant but simple, just like Crystal in a lot of ways. Lucy grinned at the idea of her friend becoming Queen of a kingdom; she was unconventional in the ways of queen behavior but Lucy was the same way in the beginning. They would just grow into the role together.

Crystal was like the big sister that Lucy never had, not that she didn't like Susan but while Susan looked towards facts and reason and always had a sensible head on her shoulders Crystal still knew how to have fun and relax and take things a day at a time. Crystal didn't treat her like a child.

Lucy jumped when the door opened and Crystal stepped out in clean undergarments, the clothes she borrowed in a ball in her hand. Lucy held the dress out to her and took the clothes as Crystal stepped into the dress, reaching back to tie the ribbon.

"You look great," Lucy told her.

"It's obvious this dress was meant for Susan," Crystal commented, looking at herself in the mirror. Lucy's mouth parted slightly. She didn't think that Crystal of all people would feel the same way she did about Susan's beauty. But what if that wasn't what she meant? Lucy thought Crystal was pretty as well, but everyone had insecurities….

"I'll make sure a tailor has more dresses made and ready for you," Lucy offered. "In the mean time we should try and find the others and let them know that you're awake."

"You go ahead. I want to speak to Aslan first."

* * *

Edmund sighed and tilted his head back, looking at the intricate design on the ceiling as a new uproar of ideas and protests filled the room. It happened at every war meeting so he didn't know why he was so surprised. Peter would say something and then Caspian would shoot back with a gaping hole in Peter's plan and then the two would butt heads with each other, practically demanding everyone in the room to pick sides.

The fauns, centaurs, and minotaurs were adding to the noise but they weren't making much progress. Edmund hadn't needed to his use quill for the past twenty minutes and he was afraid that the meeting would go on longer than needed. It felt to him that his mind was slowly dying the longer he stayed in the meeting. _Maybe it was a bad idea to leave the infirmary this early_ he thought sadly, tapping the end of his quill against the paper.

The Rayuvians, he noticed, were quiet, watching everyone as if they had all grown second heads or they were embarrassed. Edmund was embarrassed for them. Peter, usually the one who would stop any and all fighting before it escalated continued to try and drill his point into Caspian.

"We can't sit around and wait for them to attack us!" Peter bellowed.

"We can't just attack them either!" Caspian yelled.

"Why not?"

"It didn't seem to work last time," Caspian shot in his face.

"I'm not going to be a coward in my own palace," Peter growled through clenched teeth.

"What's cowardly about it?" Susan spoke up over the noise. "Bringing the enemy to us to lands that we know? It's an advantage, I would say."

Peter looked at her as if she had just told him she was an exotic dancer of some sort. "I don't believe this, you're taking _his_ side?" He expected as much, seeing as they were to be married soon. _Married._ The word sat like a rock in his stomach. Now he wasn't so sure he agreed with the idea of them being married. They haven't known each other long yet they were willing to jump into a marriage to bring peace between the Narnians and the Telmarines? What did Susan know about love anyhow?

"It's not about taking sides, Peter," Susan said as calmly as she could. "It's about the greater good of Narnia."

Susan, always the sensible one. Peter let out an angry breath and leaned back in his chair, falling silent. Around them everyone else slowly quieted their arguments as well, looking to the High King to see what his decision would be. "How much time do we have?" He finally asked.

"They're gathering their army pretty quickly," a faun replied. "I'd say we have a day at the most, but that's wishful thinking, Your Highness."

Peter sighed and ran a hand through his hair. That meant that they had to decide on a plan now. Edmund wasn't of much help, he was quieter than normal, but he expected it. Edmund was still hurt whether or not he wanted to admit it. He could see it in Edmund's eyes. He was about to tell everyone his decision when the large doors at the back of the room opened and, instinctively, turned his eyes to whomever it was that decided to enter late.

The rock in his stomach was suddenly accompanied with his heart. Aslan and Crystal had walked through the doors; Crystal's hand was at the fur on his mane. He said something to her and she nodded, dropping her arm and looking anywhere but at the table as Aslan started walking. The Noble Lion was walking slowly yet deliberately through the doors. Each person he passed stood and bowed to him, showing him their utmost respect. Once Aslan reached Peter's side he pushed back his chair and bowed, mentally smacking himself for not believing in the lion. Peter felt a heavy paw on his shoulder and looked into the golden eyes which seemed to say that Peter was forgiven for his doubt.

"Aslan…" was the only thing that Peter managed to get out. He jumped when he heard a loud crash and turned to see what had caused it. Edmund had tipped back his chair in his haste to back away from the table. Peter lifted his eyebrows and his lips parted slightly as he watched Edmund run the length of the room and pull Crystal into a hug. Never in his life has he seen Edmund so open with his feelings, especially towards a girl. It took him years to openly hug and/or kiss Susan and Lucy in their home, let alone in public. A twisting feeling in his stomach ground up the rock and his heart as he watched them talk quietly together.

His eyes drifted over her. She looked like she had been to hell and back and seen it all. Her straight black hair was shinier than Peter remembered and barely grazed her shoulders. Peter's lip twitched slightly at the dress she was wearing. He recognized Susan wearing it once. It fit her form slightly differently than Susan, being a few inches shorter than his sister, but it hugged her body in the right places. He could barely tell that she had just gotten hurt but the look in her eyes gave it away. She was guarded but relaxed at the same time.

Susan pushed back her chair and raced over to her friend, her deep green dress billowing around her legs. She threw her arms around Crystal's neck and hugged her tight. "I'm so relieved," she said, standing back to look at her. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

"As all right as I'm going to get," Crystal replied with a nod. "Sorry about borrowing your dress without asking…."

"It's quite all right, you can borrow any time you want," Susan replied with a kind smile.

Crystal nodded again and looked past Susan. Her eyes rested on Peter for a few seconds before looking over at Aslan who walked back over to her side, sat back on his haunches and addressed the ground. "This Daughter of Eve exemplified great bravery in the wake of past events. She took on the White Witch herself to protect her loved ones. It is now that I'd like to present to you…" he turned to Crystal, who turned to face him and put a paw on her shoulder, "Lady Crystal the Fearless, Dame of Narnia."

Both Edmund and Susan gave her congratulatory hugs as she beamed at her new titled. She looked over at Elvrond who was seated at the table who gave a slight nod of his head in approval. Adymn, Elvrond's leader of his army, jumped up from the table and walked over to her. "My Lady, with all due respect you have just recovered from a tiring fight, you shouldn't be on your feet," he told her.

Peter's lip twitched. Who was he to try and get her to leave the room like that? She wasn't interrupting anything, he was for suggesting something so…_sensible_. Peter looked down at the floor, punishing himself for being so stupid. Caspian glanced at him but he ignored it, waiting for Crystal's response.

"I appreciate your concern but I think I have an idea that could solve your…disagreement," Crystal said, her eyes flickering over the table. Susan gently gripped her elbow and led her over to an empty chair by her, across from Edmund. "May I?" She asked, finally addressing Peter. Peter lifted his head and looked right at her. His words got lodged in his throat as she lifted her eyebrow so he silently nodded and sat. "Thank you." She cleared her throat and addressed the room. "As you all know we are about to go to war with a powerful enemy. Not just one enemy, but potentially three. As Caspian says it would be better for us to wait for them to come to us and fight us on our own field." She looked at Peter out of the corner of her eye and continued. "However, King Peter is right as well. We shouldn't wait but attack them with the element of surprise. How could we do both? Simple. How do you weaken a strong force?" She waited for anyone to respond but they all stayed silent. "By thinning them out. If my thoughts are correct the three people they will get their orders from are Isabella, Aruen. That means the only way we have a chance of defeating them is making them split up into three groups. United they stand, divided they fall."

"But that would mean we would need to spread out our army into three groups as well," Susan spoke up.

"Precisely."

"But what if it works against us?"

"It shouldn't if we have one group do a surprise attack and take one side out, of course not every plan is perfect so we need to be sure to cover all the holes," Crystal replied, her hand resting on her chin. "Aruen would be the best to attack first. Isabella and the White Witch would be harder to take down."

"Who do you propose lead the armies?" Elvrond asked with an inquisitive look in his eye.

Crystal took a few minutes to answer. "I'll take on Isabella. She wouldn't want anyone else getting in her way," she said with as much authority as she could muster. "Auren…Peter and Caspian both could take him out in a swift blow as he wouldn't be expecting it."

"What about the White Witch?" Peter spoke up. "Who would fight her?"

"Edmund."

* * *

**Thank you all so much to those who have reviewed so far. I am sad to say that this story is close to being over. However, I am happy and excited to say that I'm all ready working on the sequel and it shall be bigger and better than _One of the Guys,_ not that I'm not proud of this work. I love it. The next story in the Destinies Intertwined series is called _The White Stag_ and I'll let your mind wander on where I could go with that. Please leave a review, it's what keeps me updating. You'll get a big ol' cyber hug from me once you review, =).**


	29. An Angel's Touch

**Chapter 29: An Angel's Touch**

The warm sand trickled between her toes as she walked across the beach, the shadow of the palace of Cair Paravel shrouded her as the dying sun set to her left over the ocean that lapped at her toes before retreating only to come back again. Crystal knew that it would be, unfortunately, one of her last moments of peace. Up ahead Lucy and James were talking and walking, stopping every now and then to look out at the setting sun before staring their walk again. She was watching over them, partly at Susan's request and partly to fulfill her role of being their bodyguard of sorts. Lucy didn't object to the idea, which she had found refreshing; usually the young queen would fight back at any idea of having a 'sitter'. It just showed how much the young Queen was growing.

"Don't get too lost in your thoughts, we still need you to fight," Edmund commented, jogging a bit to catch up with her pace before quickly falling into it. He turned a starfish in his hands while walking next to her.

"With all that's happened I'm surprised I'm not put on a lockdown of sorts," she responded with a small sigh.

"They know you're a skilled fighter. We need you."

"Yet it seems I've only caused trouble since I've been here." She bit her lip. "It makes me wonder if I truly belong here."

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't," Edmund pointed out. "Narnia doesn't make mistakes; you are here for a reason."

"To raise everyone's blood pressure, apparently," she said with a small laugh, tugging her dress up at the waist a little bit to raise the hem from the sand. "Is it wrong to say I want to live in this moment for the rest of my life?"

"Of course not. You're with the most dashing man on the planet, I understand your reasoning," Edmund joked with an air of conceit. She slapped him on the arm and he blinked in response. In actuality it hurt, pretty badly, but he didn't want to show that she could hurt him. They've been fighting with each other for years, more commonly over insignificant things, but he still didn't want her to know that she placed a good punch on him every now and then.

"I'm being serious," she chided him. "After all this is over…nothing will be the same anymore. I have to work at being Queen. A _queen_, Edmund. What do I know about being a Queen, anyway? My attention span fades after ten minutes of listening to the Council talk about God knows what. And my practices are pretty—"

"Unconventional?" Edmund interrupted her.

"I was going to say unusual," she hissed and he laughed. "I just…I don't think I can handle the responsibility. And I won't be around you all."

Edmund stopped walking. "Wait, what?"

She turned and looked back at him, the wind coming off of the water pushed her hair gently. "Edmund, my home is at Rayuvial, thus meaning I would live there. Surely you knew that." She turned and looked across the water, her shoulders drooping while wrapping her arms around her own stomach. "Life used to be so much simpler. I have to get married in due time. I don't want to be married, let alone have men try to court me left, right, and center."

"You don't have to go through it twice," Edmund pointed out, thinking back to the fifteen years he had ruled in Narnia. He was stretching the truth a bit, women from all across Narnia came to Cair Paravel to try and find a husband. However, they were mainly there for Peter, which Edmund found amusing. He did have his fair share of women try to court him and, truthfully, it was an experience he didn't want to go through again, at least not until he was older and wasn't forced into it by Susan and Peter.

"You don't have to be married by the time you're seventeen," Crystal pointed out. "Oh, and add on the fact that I'm supposed to, somehow, figure out how to control my powers and protect Narnia with Aslan. No pressure or anything." She let out an annoyed breath of air. "So you see why I want to stay in this peaceful moment."

Edmund nodded in agreement. He wanted to stay in the moment as well, but only because he didn't want to see the White Witch in battle. She had invaded his dreams every day back in England, but of course he wouldn't tell the others that. Why make them worry over nothing? Edmund's heart still lay heavy with the memories of what he did. The way he treated Lucy, the way he talked to Peter, his greed, the pain, the torture…. He knew where Crystal was coming from with putting him in charge of fighting the White Witch himself but he wasn't sure he could do it, not that he'd admit it. She still had power over him and he was afraid that he wouldn't resist her this time.

"Everything will work out in the long run, you just have to believe yourself and trust in Narnia," Crystal said suddenly. Was she able to read his mind? She had a smile on her face as if she were laughing at him, or at the thoughts that were whirling through his brain. She did have strange powers, but was she able to read minds as well…? "Now, I don't know about you, but I feel that we deserve to let out teeth rot before we go into battle. Are you in the mood for a Turkish Delight?"

"When have I ever turned down an offer of a confection from the heavens?" Edmund responded. He then lowered his voice, "Just don't tell Susan. She's trying to put me on a diet of sorts."

Crystal raised her hands as if blocking herself from something. "I don't want to deal with Susan's wrath either, my lips are sealed."

"Good. Race you…!" Edmund called quickly, turning and running up the beach as fast as his legs could carry him. He heard Crystal let out a cry of surprise and grinned, pushing himself forward, moving his long legs over the beach. It would probably be the last time he laughed hard in a while. He knew fun was what he needed, what they all needed, in light of the oncoming war. He easily took the stairs that led up to the Great Hall and threw his arms into the air in triumph. "Ha! I beat you!" He cheered as Crystal came up behind him, a few paces behind.

"You don't have to wear a dress," she protested.

"You can't handle the fact that I won," he shot back.

"I'm wearing a dress, I can't move my legs that far," she grumbled.

"Whatever…!" Edmund shook his head and took a good long look around the castle, his eyes resting on the four thrones that sat there. He frowned. There really should be five, after all Caspian was a king as well. He contributed to many of their ideas and plans and helped them defeat the Telmarine army before. Not to mention he knew how to keep the peace between the two different groups that were still learning to live around each other.

Edmund walked straight down the hall, stopping in front of his throne. He leaned forward and brushed his fingers against the engraved symbol on the headrest: a wand broken in two. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He remembered how good it felt breaking the White Witch's wand that day in the First Battle of Beruna. She hadn't realized that she basically showed him her own weakness, her own downfall. Then he frowned. He had broken her wand recently, but he wondered if she could find a way to fix it or use it as a different weapon of sorts. "Why me…?" He whispered.

"Because you need closure," Crystal responded. He turned around to look at her and saw an unreadable expression on her face. "You need to face her head on, not Peter, not Caspian, not Susan_, you_."

Edmund nodded and jumped down from the little height that the thrones were sitting on. "Come on, I'll treat you so you won't feel badly that you _lost_." She growled something under her breath while he laughed. She was so easy to tease.

Peter always seemed to find himself in the kitchen before a battle. Something about the spacious, quiet area made it easy for him to think and get his nerves in the right places. The library would've been better when it came to silence but something about being in the kitchen reminded him of home and it gave him a better sense of fighting to protect Narnia and his family.

He reached for a cookie that a chef had made him and took a bite, smiling as it seemed to melt in his mouth. It was bittersweet. He knew, like every fight he went into, there was a chance that he wouldn't come back alive. He tried to savor the taste as long as he could before swallowing and taking another bite.

He didn't have to look out the window to know that the hour drew closer to their departure. After Crystal's explanation of her plan he and Caspian went over in full detail every step of their part of the plan to take Auren down. No matter which plan they came up with they were at risk of being found out by a stray guard or Isabella herself. The Rayuvians said they would go in first, disarming as many of the guards as they could before the Telmarines and the Narnians went in themselves. They had managed to obtain a sketch of the palace they were to infiltrate and they needed to get in through both exists if they were to be sure to take Auren down as quickly as possible.

That would be left up to Peter and Caspian but a nagging feeling tugged at Peter's heart. Would Caspian be able to go through with the plan this time? Last time at Miraz's castle, Caspian hesitated which ended up with innocent souls dying for their friends when their deaths could've been avoided. Peter wouldn't be there to make sure Caspian stuck to his part of the plan…. Peter shook his head and mentally slapped himself. If Aslan trusted him he could too, Aslan hasn't made any mistakes, why would he start now…?

Peter took another bite of his cookie and continued to let his mind wander, this time wondering if Edmund would really be able to take on the White Witch himself. Peter would actually feel better if he was the one to take on the White Witch. He heard Edmund's cries in the middle of the night. Edmund tried to keep them as quiet as possible, Peter knew. Edmund was too proud to have his own brother know that he cried in the middle of the night but Peter knew, Peter always knew and he wasn't sure that Edmund would be able to pull through with it when it came down to killing her. Before he tried to spare her life but then what…? She stabbed him in the back. Surely he couldn't be so naïve twice…?

"Would you like some company?" Susan asked, making him jump. She chuckled and ruffled his hair, carefully taking a seat next to him at the table where the chefs would eat during balls and parties. Peter noticed that she took extra care straightening her dress and making sure it was free of creases or wrinkles. "You always were so jumpy whenever you were deep in thought," she commented with a teasing smile.

"Just be glad I didn't have my sword on me," Peter commented with a very small smile of his own, pushing the plate of cookies towards her. She took one, shook it as if wanting crumbs to fall off, and then took a bite.

"Almost like Mum's," she sighed, her small hand up to her mouth to block the view of her chewing and talking. "The army has been gathered and are waiting for your departure," she told him once she swallowed. She then put her cookie down and placed her hand on top of yours. "_Please_, this one time I beg you, don't do something _stupid._" Peter opened his mouth to protest but she squeezed his hand to stop him. "I mean it, Peter. Don't try to come out as the hero."

"Thanks for the support, Su," Peter said with an eye roll.

Susan huffed. "You know what I mean…!"

"No, Susan, I do not know what you mean," Peter said hotly. "Why don't you explain it to me…?"

"No, Peter…!" Susan said, getting off of her chair to leave the room.

"Susan, tell me!" He ordered

Susan let out a shriek of annoyance and glared her hard blue eyes at him. "You try so hard to d the right thing that you make things worse. You don't _think_, Peter…! You let your emotions get in the way. It was no wonder your night raid plan against Miraz failed…!"

Peter glared at his own sister. "You blame me for that?" He hissed. Susan fell silent but held his gaze. "You do, don't you…?"

"I never said I did! Don't put words in my mouth," she finally responded, anger burning behind her eyes.

Peter slapped his hand down on the table but held his breath as long as he could to stop himself from blowing up at Susan. She didn't deserve it, it was the stress of the oncoming battle that was fueling his anger, that's all. But still, there was something nagging him… "This is about Caspian isn't it?" The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could filter them but he couldn't stop talking. "You know, just because you're going to marry him doesn't mean you can talk to me like this. And, actually, the idea of you two getting married is so absurd. You two haven't even known each other long, how could you possibly say that you love each other enough to be with each other for the rest of your lives?"

Susan sniffed. "Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean the rest of us do!" She yelled, her voice echoing off of the high walls. "Maybe if you paid more attention about yourself instead of talking about something you know nothing about you wouldn't be so _lonely_ and you wouldn't take it out on _us_!"

Peter was about to respond but a small—almost inaudible—creak of the door caught his attention. "All right, stop hiding," he called, letting out a breath. Susan brought her hands up to her dress smoothing away invisible wrinkles as the door swung open and Lucy, Edmund, and Crystal slowly walked in, guilty looks on their faces. "How long have you been standing there?"

Lucy knew it was better to tell the truth when Peter was in one of his 'moods'. "Not long!" Lucy said quickly. "Just when you asked if Susan blanked you for the attack on Miraz's castle." She bit her lip, waiting for Peter's reaction. She stepped further into the room and made sure she had both their attentions before she continued. "You two shouldn't be fighting, especially on a night like this. Not when Peter has to leave so soon." Her voice hitched on her last couple of words and she bit her lip, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes.

"C'mere, Lu," Susan said softly. Lucy dashed forward, making sure to lift the hem of her dress, and ran over to Susan, throwing her arms around her sister's waist. Susan hugged Lucy close to her and ran her fingers through her long hair. "It's ok, sweetheart, everything will be ok. Peter and I are just…a little stressed, that's all. We love each other very much, you know that."

"I know, I just don't want Peter to leave," Lucy replied, letting go of Susan and hugging Peter.

"You know I have to leave, Lu," Peter said, kneeling so they were at eyelevel. "And once I come back everything will go back to normal and we can have a big, big celebration. We'll have a grand ball and we'll get one of the seamstresses to make you the most beautiful dress you've ever worn."

"It would have to be a celebration for saving Narnia and for Crystal's birthday," Lucy told him.

"Oh, Luce, I don't need a party for my birthday," Crystal said quickly, shaking her head. "My birthday's over anyway—"

"Nonsense! I'm sure your father would love to join in the festivities as well," Lucy told her with a bright smile and eyes full of excitement. "Then it's all settled, the only thing you have to do is come back safely."

"And not do anything stupid while he's out there but we all know which one of _those_ rules he's going to break," Crystal added.

Peter turned to look at her and was slightly shocked to see a teasing smile on her face. He didn't think she'd speak to him, let alone tease him in a way that made it seem like their argument (and the kiss) never happened. Edmund and Susan laughed a little. Lucy giggled and gave Peter a tight hug which he returned, squeezing her as tight as he could without hurting her. Then he hugged Susan and dropped a kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes briefly at the touched and smiled up at him.

"Go find Caspian," Peter told her. She gave him a questioning look but realization suddenly dawned on her. Susan's cheeks tinged red but she took Lucy's hand and walked with her out of the kitchen. "Ed, could you please step outside for a moment?" He asked, turning around. Edmund quickly snatched his hand back from the plate of treats that was sitting on the kitchen table, nodded, and left the kitchen as well.

"Peter, do me a favor?" Crystal asked him so suddenly that he actually jumped although he was looking right at her. He nodded slowly. Studying her face to try and find out what it was that she was going to say. She lowered her head and unclasped the necklace that as around her neck and held it out. He opened his palm and she dropped it into his hand. "I want that back so do you mind coming back in one piece?"

He closed his fingers around the necklace, doing his best to ignore the spark in his fingertips when his brushed hers and he nodded. "I promise." He then felt a warm and very light touch on his cheek, like an angel's touch. He looked up, noticing the hint of a smirk on Crystal's lips. "Take care of Lucy for me."

"Of course."

Peter nodded and excused himself. Crystal let out a little sigh and crossed her arms tight over her chest, walking towards the window to look out it at the dark landscape that was bathed in the bright silvery moon. The door swung open suddenly and Edmund came walking back in. His eyebrows knitted together in concern and he walked over to the window. "Is everything all right?" Edmund asked and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. "Are you _crying_?" He asked incredulously.

"It's nothing," Crystal said hastily as she wiped at her eyes. "I'm fine." Edmund squinted as if not believing her. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes again. "I'm scared, Edmund. I don't know what I'm doing and they expect me to lead an army against someone who knows how to use her powers against us. I could end up destroying Narnia instead of helping it. And I didn't realize until now how much we really have at stake."

Edmund gave her shoulder a squeeze and gave her a smile, thinking that it was about time that her mask fell apart.


	30. Resonance of War Part 1

**Chapter 30: Resonance of War Part 1**

Peter ran his hand over the lion-head-shaped pommel on Rhindon. The bumps and grooves tickled the skin on his palm. He let out the breath he was holding and looked out the window of his room. In the next few hours he'd be off, riding on a horse, taking down Elvrond while his brother stood up to the White Witch back at the castle.

He turned away from the window and clutched the hilt of his sword tighter. He couldn't let Edmund fight her by himself but, at the same time, he knew that it's what Edmund had to do. He needed closure and it was the only way he could get it.

Peter unbuckled the sword that was attacked to his hip and held it out in his hands. His eyes trailed over the sheath that Rhindon sat in. He turned the sheathed around and around in his hands, marveling at the weight of the blade. The longer he looked at it the sword the more he wondered if it were really meant for him and not for Edmund.

If Edmund hadn't been so passive-aggressive about the war he wouldn't have run off, met the White Witch, and made everyone suffer at the hands of his mistakes. Peter then bit his lip. At the same time if Edmund weren't so passive-aggressive they wouldn't have gone to Narnia in the first place.

Peter carefully put his sword down and hit himself on his head. This wasn't a time for him to be doubting himself nor was it a time to let his fears and his worries take the forefront. But he couldn't stop the rage that was building inside of himself whenever he thought of Susan and Caspian together…

He dropped onto his bed and covered his eyes with his arms. Susan and Caspian. Such a taboo topic for him. He saw it coming and he did his best to stop it, but who was he to stop something that God had started. Peter hated to admit it but he still didn't trust Caspian, not that much anyway. He was running around with _his_ Susan, his baby sister, the one he protected from bullies. The one he had to watch grow into a smart, independent, beautiful young women. The one he had to fight boys off of. But he couldn't be her shield for much longer.

And she sided with _him_ today. Susan was always on his side, no matter how ridiculous he sounded. She was there to help him calm down and look at things from all sides of a situation before making an important decision. No one knew but she was what made him such a "Great King" as the others would say. And she would let him take the title with a smile and a look of pride.

And all he could show for it was to fight her.

Peter closed his eyes under his arms. That was what he was doomed to, wasn't it? Fighting with everyone and pushing them away instead of hearing them out. It was no wonder he and Susan constantly butt heads as they grew up. He scrunched up his nose. Were they always like that? Fighting? Then he shook his head. He remembered they started fighting when his mother stared putting Susan in charge of babysitting Edmund and Lucy.

_Why do I fight people off?_ Peter asked himself, trying to pick every crevice of his brain for an answer. But then he all ready knew the answers. So they wouldn't be hurt from a mistake he could possibly make. But he was hurting them all ready.

If only Susan weren't so grown.

"Right, because that's the root of all of your problems."

Peter jerked and then sat straight up in bed. He was so deep in his thoughts he hadn't heard the door open. Crystal was standing in front of him, her arms crossed over her emerald green dress. He hadn't realized he had been talking out loud.

"You're not mad at me either?" Peter asked.

Her eyes slid together until she glared. "Oh no, I remember quite fondly you shoving me over the edge of that cliff."

He got to his feet. "I couldn't control myself. I tried to stop."

"That's a matter of opinion, isn't it _milord_?" She questioned.

Now he glared. "You don't know the kind of power that Isabella has."

She scoffed. "Of course I do. I'm the one fighting her because you're too much of a _gentleman_ to actually notice that she has been trying to take over the first time she set foot in this castle."

"Did you come to talk to me or argue with me?"

She smiled wryly. "Those are the same things when it comes to us." He cracked a small smile. "And I came to talk." He nodded and sat back down on the side of his bed. He motioned for her to take a seat next to him. She hesitated slightly but sat down as best as she could in the dress. "I saw my mom," she stated. He blinked. "My Narnia Mom."

He lifted his eyebrows at that. "What was she like?"

"She's very pretty," Crystal replied, absentmindedly tugging at her hair. "And she was like an angel. She told me why I was brought to England. She told me what Isabella is capable of and she told me of my destiny." She paused and closed her eyes as if wanting to see the image of her mother in front of her. Peter lifted a hand and brushed her dark hair out of her face, marveling at how smooth her skin was under his fingertips. She blinked open her eyes and he immediately dropped his hand. "Makes me wonder how I'm going to live up to her."

"You don't have to." She looked up at him. Crystal's stomach tightened in a knot at his touch. The intense way that he was looking at her made a shiver shimmy down her spine. He was so close to her. She could smell him, feel him, and see the fear and confidence in his eyes. She reached up, the pads of her fingers brushing the warm skin of his cheek.

She heard and felt his sharp intake of breath, his eyes burning into her soul, making every muscle inside her quiver.

"Crys…"

Her skin burned. She needed to move away but she couldn't. She didn't want to move away from him. She shifted her eyes from his, down to his mouth, and then flicked them back up again. A moment later her skin tingled at the gentle brush of his lips against her own. He leaned forward again, taking her mouth and robbing her of her breath.

Her hand dropped from his cheek to the back of his neck, up into his hair, and pulled him closer to her. Her other hand rest on his stomach, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. His hands dropped to her waist and closed the distance between them, melding into one. But it wasn't enough for him.

He pulled away and licked his bottom lip. "Crys," he whispered. She leaned forward to kiss him again but he held her away, stopping her with a single look. She sighed and looked at the floor. He brought his hands up to her cheeks and lifted her face until she was looking at him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against the side of her mouth.

She shook her head and backed away from him, moving a hand through her hair and brushing her bangs to the other side of her face. "This isn't appropriate behavior," she mumbled, looking at the floor.

Peter gaped at her. "You don't make any sense."

She scoffed. "_I_ don't make any sense? Peter, one minute you're nice, sweet, fun-loving even and the next you're impulsive, brash, and temperamental. You treat Edmund like a kid, you treat Susan like she's your _daughter_ and not your _sister_, and you have a protective hold over Lucy that's so tight she can't do _anything_ without your consent!"

"That's ridiculous," he muttered, turning away from her.

"It isn't and you know it's true."

"What do you want me to do?" Peter demanded, turning back to face her, his eyes smoldering. "Huh? I made a promise to Mum and Dad that I would protect them and that's what I'm doing but nobody seems to understand that."

"Because you're trying too hard. Peter, you can't protect them forever. They have their own lives as well." She sighed and put a hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze. She smiled slightly when she felt his muscle twitch under her hand. "This war is hard on all of us and it hasn't even started yet. You need to focus but you need to relax and clear your mind." She barely had time to blink when he grabbed her face and kissed her again. "Peter, wait," she managed to mumble.

"Shut up," he muttered, kissing her again and pushing her back against his pillows.

* * *

**It's short, I know. But I updated so that should count for something, right? **

**Pure Suspian next chapter to make up for it and then we get to the big fight.**

**Reviews make this girl happy. ^-^  
**


	31. Resonance of War Part 2

**Chapter 31: Resonance of War Part 2**

Susan's eyes fluttered as a fingertip brushed her cheek. She reached a hand back and grasped Caspian's hand, interlocking their fingers. His lips gently brushed her cheek. Her skin burned under his touch as he moved his lips to her neck and then her shoulder and then to the back of her hand.

Caspian held her close so their bodies merged into one. A perfect fit. Whenever Susan was in Caspian's arms she felt like nothing else mattered, just those two together. For a moment she forgot that they were in the middle of a war, that he should be ready to leave in a few minutes, that there was a chance they wouldn't ever see each other again.

Susan squashed that thought as soon as it formed in her head. They would see each other again, she was sure of it. Narnia was a magical place and anything could happen there. She just had to believe that he'd come back safe and sound and he would. Then they could start the rest of their lives together.

Susan smiled at the thought of having little ones running around the castle. It would bring a great change of pace to the ever-disciplined castle. As they grew up in Narnia Susan learned that it was better to have some fun every once in a while. She saw what happened, she knew what would happen if things didn't change. But if they didn't win…?

She couldn't even think of the possibility that they'd lose. Narnia would be plunged into darkness. Isabella and the White Witch would rule. She would force Peter into marrying her so she became the High Queen. Who knows what she'd do with that power, what she'd do to her and Edmund and Lucy? It's no surprise that Isabella only wants Peter to be a part of her family…

"What're are you thinking about, love?" Caspian asked. His breath was warm against her ear. She snuggled under the covers and moved closer to him, not only to be warmer but to remember what he felt like.

"The upcoming fight," Susan replied.

"What about it?"

"The consequences."

"You shouldn't be thinking of such things," Caspian told her, using a hand to brush her hair out of her face. She rolled onto her back and looked up at him. His dark eyes locked with hers. A shiver rolled down her spine from the very way he was looking at her.

"That's very hard to do considering the predicament we've found ourselves in," Susan explained.

"A predicament that we can surely see ourselves out of," Caspian told her.

Susan sighed. "I just – I don't want anyone to die for us anymore. I wish for all of this to be over. But I guess that would make things too easy, wouldn't it?" Caspian didn't respond but he gently stroked her hair as she spoke. "I'm worried, with the White Witch and Isabella being as strong as they are. If we don't watch our backs…if we let our guards down even for a second we're sure to lose. We can't let that happen. We have no room for error."

"Susan, you need to have faith in us," Caspian told her. "You need to have faith in Narnia. You've been through the Golden Age, the best time in Narnia history. It was all because of you and your siblings that there was such a time. You've done it before, you can do it again."

Susan took in a deep breath and let it out very slowly. Caspian pressed a kiss to the side of her head while she closed her eyes. She wanted time to freeze so she could stay in that moment forever. But, alas, she knew that it was not meant to happen and that she would have to send her dear Caspian into battle where he would take her heart with him.

"Don't leave me," Susan whispered. She was being vulnerable, she knew, far more vulnerable than she's ever been nor has she allowed anyone else to see, let alone her family. Caspian was worth it. She loved him dearly, even if she didn't say it enough. She loved him. "Please, Caspian, don't leave me."

"I would never leave you, my queen," Caspian told her and sealed her lips with a kiss. She pushed her fingers through his thick hair, lightly scratching at his scalp as he pulled her as close as their bodies could get. Their lips moved together in an endless kiss, each pouring their souls into each other. Letting one another know how much love they had without speaking the words out loud. They didn't need to, they could feel it in every fiber of their being. Finally they pulled away, both on the verge of being lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Caspian kissed her cheek, then her forehead, and finally her nose. Taking her hands in his he told her, "I will come back and we will get married. I promise you, Susan, my queen. We will get married."

With a sigh and a heavy heart, Susan untangled herself from him and got out of the bed. She made sure every hair was in place as well as her dress being free of wrinkles. Caspian climbed out of the bed and pulled the sheets and comforter back. Susan wanted to laugh at the act. It was strange how something so simple could mean so much to her. Susan kept her eyes on him as he picked up his forgotten sword that was attached to his belt. He looped the belt around his waist and clasped it, pulling the leather tight to ensure that it was snug against his side. The weight of his sword resting against his hip felt familiar and comforting in an odd way.

There was a knock at the door. A split second later the knob turned and Edmund appeared at the doorway. "They're ready," he announced.

Susan nodded and left the room, Caspian close behind her. While the two followed Edmund down the hall Caspian grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. She tried to offer him a smile, to let him know that she'd be alright but it wouldn't for on her face. She couldn't lie, she didn't know how she was going to be able to handle being separated from him, not knowing if he was alive or not. And Peter, her elder brother, how would he fare with not knowing the condition of his siblings until he came back? What if he didn't?

Susan's heart crammed into her throat as they descended the stairs to the group that was waiting down below. Centaurs, Minotaurs, apes, bears, dwarves, fauns, many creatures were waiting for Peter and Caspian to lead the group to the enemy base.

"I will be thinking about you always," Caspian told Susan as he embraced her. "I won't forget my promise. I will make sure it is carried out.

"Oh Caspian, I love you," Susan told him, resting her hands on his cheeks.

Caspian gave her a kiss. "And I love you, my queen. I always will, as long as my heart keeps beating."

Susan hugged him tight and finally let him go. She turned to her brother and held him as if she were afraid he was going to disappear beneath her fingertips. "You have to be brave for Edmund and Lucy," Peter told her, gently stroking her hair. "OK? You have to be brave for them. I know you can do it. Make sure Lucy stays out of harm's way. God knows she's going to try and fight."

"I know. I will," she said, pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "Please come back in one piece."

Peter cracked a grin. "I'll try. I may leave an eyebrow behind."

Susan smacked his arm. "I'm serious, Peter. God only knows how we'd explain it to Mum if you…" her voice trailed off at the thought. She covered her mouth and nose with her hands and squeezed her eyes tight to keep from crying. Peter hugged her again and pressed a kiss to her forehead once more.

"Don't worry about me, worry about protecting the others, alright?" He whispered. "I love you, Su."

"I love you too, Peter."

Susan crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip as Peter hugged Lucy and Edmund in turn. Her eyebrows lifted slightly when Peter hesitated by Crystal but finally pulled her into a hug, gently holding her and rocking her, as if she were fragile and he was afraid to break her. Finally he let go and gave his siblings one last look before walking with Caspian over to their horses which were waiting for them. They swung themselves up into the saddle and situated themselves, adjusting their chainmail armor to get seated properly.

With a heavy sigh Peter turned his horse and lead them quietly in the direction of the distant enemy.


	32. Switching Sides

**Chapter 32: Switching Sides**

Peter swallowed hard.

He took in a deep breath though his nose and let it out slowly as the gentle rocking of the horse he was sitting on made his mind cloud over. He gave his head a little shake. He had to be ready, to be prepared for the battle that was to come soon. They weren't that far from the home of Auren and Isabella, not much longer now. Next to him Caspian rode on his horse in silence, his hands gripped the reigns tightly, his dark eyes facing forward. His face was now a mask, the only thing that gave off a sense of what he was thinking was his eyes. Underneath the moonlight a sort of fire burned behind in his eyes. If Peter were to look in a reflective surface he was sure to see the same thing.

They were going to attack and return victorious, he was sure of it. They had to be victorious. Narnia was counting on them. As a King of Old he knew the peace that could come of this, a second Golden Age maybe. That was the dream. To be able to leave Narnia and rest assured that there will be a time of peace for them, maybe longer than the fifteen years they went through before.

Where he would be able to rule with his brother and sisters by his side, rule a place free from conflict and despair. Nothing but peace and good times to fill his memories once they returned home.

If they returned home…

Peter shook his head again. But his heart began to ache at the simple thought. What if they were to go home and _never_ return? He and Susan should not have come back, he knew, but somehow they did. Maybe they would still be able to return whenever Narnia needed them. Then again Aslan wouldn't have gone through the trouble of letting them know of their incapability of returning one before.

An as much as he wished it were so he knew that Aslan was never wrong.

Peter dug his knees into the horse's side and urged them forward at a faster pace, but not fast enough to make many sounds. He did not want to be gone for too long. He wanted to be sure he was back in time to help Edmund and Crystal.

Even thinking about her gave his heart a little jolt. It was a foreign feeling, one he only remembered experiencing in a lesser tone back when he met his first wife. _Wife._ A small smile formed on his face. How funny was it to say that he had gotten married once before, and lived a long life, all before he turned eighteen?

It was funny, the affects that Narnia has had on them. It has changed them all, he could tell. Even if it were in the most simplistic of ways. Susan had became even more motherly before, took on a new air of responsibility being the oldest girl of the family. Edmund sense of selfishness changed right away, Peter guessed it was from knowing that Aslan was to be killed in his stead. He matured quickly in the year that had passed, becoming more patient and calm. He was still quick as a whip and could be a bit stubborn. Lucy was still the wide-eyed dreamer she was before but now she was even more of a believer, in anything and everything. Hell, if it weren't for her they wouldn't be there.

While he wasn't so vain to say aloud he felt that he obtained a better head from being in Narnia and ruling for so long. He was not quick to jump into things as before, now he was patient enough to hear all sides of a problem before charging in as if his head were cut off. How many lives were saved with that tactic? Then again, how many were lost at the battle of Miraz's castle…?

He swallowed thickly and tried to force that particular thought out of his head. _There's no time to think of that. We must cut off Isabella's army and now is the only time to do it._ He let out a breath. _ Focus and get this done. Everyone is counting on you._

He felt a heavy hit on his arm. To his right Caspian was staring intently at him. "You alright?" Caspian asked.

Peter nodded. "Yes," he replied, his voice strong. "I'm alright."

"A bit nervous?"

Peter's muscles tensed. "Of course not!" He responded, looking Caspian hard in the eye. "Are you?"

Caspian shook his head. "There is no room for nerves. We have to get in…and do our jobs."

_Kill_. _That's what he wanted to say wasn't it? _Peter looked at the path in front of them once more. The moon was cloaked by heavy clouds that had rolled in over time. A few shafts of light were seen behind the shifting clouds. The darkness seemed to reflect his dark thoughts.

_That's what we're essentially doing, going in to kill anyone in our way to dwindle down the numbers for the others._ His eyebrows furrowed. _Is this the right thing to do? Kill everyone in cold blood? Wouldn't that make us almost as bad as them?_ His lips came together to form a thin line. _We did it before. You just have to get over it, Peter. This is what you have to do. To save Narnia._

_To save everyone._

* * *

"Go! Go! Go!" Peter hissed.

He popped up from the ground and ran along the wall of the tall castle which was draped in shadows. He kept a hand close to the stone wall just in case a door opened up on his side. He stayed low, his feet shuffling against the ground as he moved quickly. He could hear Caspian behind him and a few other men behind him.

He crouched in the shadows and looked around the wall. Guards were standing stock still, swords in hands, looking outwards. Peter moved back and shrug against the wall, turning in his crouching position to look at his group. "Alright," he whispered. "We're going to have to split up. Half of you go with Caspian, Adymn I want you to go with him. Aral, you're coming with me. The rest of you split yourselves, but I'm going to need a bit more muscle on my side."

His grip tightened on his sword. "We do not back out until every one of them has fallen. Stay sharp, don't back down. Don't get bitten by any shape shifters. Understood?" He got grunts in response. "Good. And remember everyone…we're doing this for Aslan and for Narnia. Don't let me down." He looked at Caspian who stared right back at him.

The two nodded.

Caspian looked over his shoulder and nodded at his group before rushing forward. In the blink of an eye the darkness had swallowed them. It didn't take long before shouts and cries were heard as well as grunts and the clangs of metal upon metal followed quickly by thuds.

"Let's go," Peter whispered.

Still crouched he began to run full tilt past the other group that was fighting off guards who had come to aid their fallen brothers. Thankful that his distraction plan worked Peter led the group inside of the castle. It was lit up by torches which were hung on the walls. A few tapestries depicting different hunting scenes. A few bore intricate crests that he couldn't make out in the dim light.

"Peter!" Aral suddenly shouted.

Peter jerked his head back and stared into the golden eyes of his attacker as he jumped over a ledge and launched at him. Peter quickly drew his sword and managed to bring it up, connecting with his attacker as he felt down. He landed heavily on the stone floor as Peter took a step back to absorb the blow better.

"Go! Caspian's taking care of the grounds!" Peter ordered as she charged up the stairs. Aral and a portion of the minotaur group ran through the castle, disappearing around corners. Kicking in the first door that Peter came across he took his sword to the men on the other side, easily taking them down to move onto the next one.

_Don't think about it, just move. Just keep on moving, don't give yourself time to think._

He moved as if he were on autopilot, bursting into rooms to take down anyone and everyone he found on the other side, cutting down guards that rushed at him. He didn't stop moving. He refused to let his body slow down, let his mind catch up to what he was doing or to look back at the bodies that lay behind him.

Finally he reached the top of the castle, only one door stood in his way. He could hear fighting down below and guessed that Caspian had finally made his way inside to help them. It wouldn't be long now, before they could go back to the castle. The adrenaline that had taken over his body was beginning to wear off. The aches and pains in his joint were coming through and a throbbing pain in his side grabbed his attention.

He brought his hand down and felt around until a wet patch reached his fingers. He lifted them to his eyes to study it carefully in the moonlight. Blood. He blinked at the substance on his fingers. When had he been hit? He took a look over at a Minotaur who was staring at his fingers.

"I'm fine," he mumbled and wiped them on his side. "Auren has to be in there. On my mark open the door. We'll rush in and take him down. There are more of us I'm sure." He brought his arm up and wiped sweat from his upper lip. He brushed his palms against the rough material of his pants and gripped onto his sword handle tightly.

"One."

A minotaur expelled air from his nose and brought his axe up infront of himself, his eyes hardening. The others followed suit as Aral went to the door, ready to kick it in. He looked back at Peter and then turned towards the door once more.

"Two."

Now it was Peter's turn to tense. He shifted his foot placement and corrected his stance to give himself enough of a push when he wanted to start running. He rolled the pommel of his sword in his hands and then grasped onto it tightly, feeling his fingers fall into the grooves of the handle. Blood began to rush in his ears.

"_Three!_"

The door was flung open. Peter rushed inside. He swung his sword. It connected with a loud, metallic _clang_ against a shield that was thrust in his face. He recoiled but managed to bring his sword up again and connect with another sword that came down in his face.

Behind him he could hear the others rushing in to his aid, knocking down anyone that got in their way. Reaching his arm back Peter plunged the blade into his opponent and watched as he fell to the ground. Peter's chest heaved and he strode towards another door in the room.

_You can't hide any longer!_

Grasping onto the handles he wrenched open the door and pulled his sword hand back, screaming.

"No! Wait! Please!" A female figured screamed at him, holding her hands out. Peter's arm stopped in mid swing and he awkwardly dropped his arm down. The girl uncurled herself from the floor and approached him, her hands still facing his direction, covered in dirt and shaking.

Her long, dark wavy hair looked tangled and her face was smudged with dirt, but her golden eyes still shone through, contrasting against her dark skin, and grabbed a hold of Peter's attention.

"Please," she repeated, her voice shaking. He could hear a hint of an accent to her words but he wasn't sure which one it was. "Don't hurt me. I…I'm not one of them."

"Why should I believe you?" Peter spat.

"_Please!_" Her hands began to shake more violently. "Isabella put me here. I…I was her friend. I did not agree with what she was doing. I went along with her schemes at first, even helped her come up with a few of her plans. But I knew I was wrong. I tried to talk her out of it but she did not listen. When I did not agree with her or keep her happy she would leave me with her…beasts. She shoved me in here, leaving me to die. She did not want me getting out trying to warn anyone. Please…"

Peter looked her over, keeping his hand on his weapon. Her tattered and ripped nightgown exposed her knees which were as smudged as her face. Her legs bore the tell-tale signs of abuse; the large, dark bruises marred her skin.

"What's your name?" He demanded.

She licked her dry, cracked lips, wincing at the sting. "M-Mala," she uttered. "Princess Mala of Murcia Isle." She lowered her head and muttered something in a language he could not quite pinpoint.

"Princess," he repeated. He had only heard of the Isle once, but that was so long ago. He couldn't even remembere where it resided, surely not the Eastern Islands. His brow creased. That would mean she was not telling the truth, wouldn't it?

"Peter!" Peter ran over to the ledge and looked down. Caspian looked back up at him. "He's not here! Auren! We searched everywhere! It must be a trap!"

_Again!?_ Peter growled and then turned to Mala. She looked back at him, her lower lip working between her teeth. He harshly released a breath. "You're coming with us, understand? It's not safe for you here."

"Are you…taking me to your home?" Mala asked uncertainly.

"Yes. There are plenty of places to hide there. Don't worry, Isabella won't do anything to you. I promise." He held out his hand. "You can trust me."

Mala's golden eyes dropped to his palm and then lifted back to his face. His muscles held onto his stern expression and he stood stock still as he waited for the girl to make up her mind. She nodded and took his hand, lifting the hem of her dress skirt to show him that she was ready to run and do whatever he told her.

"Okay," she said with a small smile.

He offered a smile in return.


End file.
